On 20 and 21 October 2023, the National Library of Latvia will host the annual security and foreign policy forum, the Riga Conference 2023, which brings together high-ranking politicians and recognised experts for discussions on regional and international developments.
The welcoming address for the event will be delivered by Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of the Republic of Latvia. At the opening session of the Riga Conference, Krišjānis Kariņš, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market Participants, will share their views on current challenges to European and transatlantic security.
Taking part in discussions are Dr Vaira Vīķe Freiberga, former President of the Republic of Latvia (1999–2007), the Ministers of Defence of Latvia and Estonia, and other officials and experts in international relations.
This year’s forum will feature discussions on the need for a comprehensive strategy in support of Ukraine, the international rule of law issues in relation to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and the impact of the Russian aggression on European economy. Views will also be exchanged on progress made by NATO ahead of the Washington summit, including with the strengthening of security in the Baltic Sea region, and on the existing challenges to Europe’s military industry. The conference will likewise offer an experts’ perspective of the impact made by the Indio-Pacific region on geopolitical processes. A separate discussion is to look at the role of women in maintaining peace and security, and women in war-torn environments.
A full programme for the Riga Conference 2023 is available at rigaconference.lv/agenda. The event will be livestreamed online at rigaconference.lv. The audience can also follow the proceedings on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.
Since 2006, the Riga Conference has been organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation (LATO) with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, and in cooperation with the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, the European Commission Representation in Latvia, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The conference is supported by a number of embassies accredited to Latvia, as well as companies Latvenergo, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, Audi Latvija, and BALTA.