- Riga Conference 2015

Our Speakers

Prof Dr Julian LINDLEY-FRENCH

Senior Fellow, Institute of Statecraft

Prof Dr Julian LINDLEY-FRENCH

Senior Fellow, Institute of Statecraft

Julian Lindley-French is a leading strategic analyst, author and commentator with several books to his name. He is Senior Fellow at the Institute of Statecraft, Director of Europa Analytica and Honorary Fellow of the Strategy and Security Institute at the University of Exeter. His blog, Lindley-French’s Blog Blast (www.lindleyfrench.blogspot.com), has a world-wide readership. The Oxford Handbook of War is regarded as a definitive compendium on the subject. In January 2014 published a new book entitled “Little Britain? Twenty-First Century Strategic Challenges for a Middling European Power”. He is currently working on a book on NATO.

Dr Sylke TEMPEL

Editor-in-Chief, Internationale Politik

Dr Sylke TEMPEL

Editor-in-Chief, Internationale Politik

Dr. Sylke Tempel ist editor in-chief of „Internationale Politik“, published by the German Council of Foreign Affairs, lecturer at the Stanford Study Center Berlin and visiting professor at Stanford University. She worked as Middle East correspondent for various German language magazines and newspapers. Among her recent publications are: "Israel. Reise durch ein altes, neues Land." (Israel, Journey through an Old New Land“), (2008) And „Freya von Moltke. A Biography.“ (2011)

Edgars RINKĒVIČS

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Edgars RINKĒVIČS

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Edgars Rinkēvičs is Minister of Foreign Affairs since October 25, 2011. He was Head of the Chancery of the President of Latvia from October 2008 till October 2011. He also served as State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia from August 1997 till October 2008. He also worked as Chief of the Office for organising the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, which took place in Riga, 2006. Mr. Rinkēvičs graduated from University of Latvia and received his Master’s degree in Political Science in 1997. From 1999-2000 he also studied at the U.S. National Defence University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and has a graduate degree in National Resource Strategy.

Victor CHIRILA

Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Association (APE), Moldova

Victor CHIRILA

Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Association (APE), Moldova

Kakha GOGOLASHVILI

Director of EU Studies at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

Kakha GOGOLASHVILI

Director of EU Studies at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

Roland FREUDENSTEIN

Deputy Director and Head of Research at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies

Roland FREUDENSTEIN

Deputy Director and Head of Research at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies

Andrejs Pildegovičs

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Andrejs Pildegovičs

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Alexei PIKULIK

Academic Director of Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies

Alexei PIKULIK

Academic Director of Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies

Balázs JARÁBIK

Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Balázs JARÁBIK

Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Dr Joerg FORBRIG

Transatlantic Fellow for Central and Eastern Europe, Director of the Fund for Belarus Democracy

Dr Joerg FORBRIG

Transatlantic Fellow for Central and Eastern Europe, Director of the Fund for Belarus Democracy

Andrei SANNIKOV

Coordinator, “European Belarus” civil campaign

Andrei SANNIKOV

Coordinator, “European Belarus” civil campaign

Orysia LUTSEVYCH

Research Fellow at the Chatham House, the United Kingdom

Orysia LUTSEVYCH

Research Fellow at the Chatham House, the United Kingdom

Oleh RYBACHUK

Chair and Co-founder of Centre UA

Oleh RYBACHUK

Chair and Co-founder of Centre UA

Alyona GETMANCHUK

Director of the Institute of World Policy, Ukraine

Alyona GETMANCHUK

Director of the Institute of World Policy, Ukraine

Dr Mark GALEOTTI

Professor of Global Affairs at the Center for Global Affairs, NYU School of Professional Studies

Dr Mark GALEOTTI

Professor of Global Affairs at the Center for Global Affairs, NYU School of Professional Studies

Mark ADOMANIS

Contributor, Forbes

Mark ADOMANIS

Contributor, Forbes

Dr Jānis BĒRZIŅŠ

Director of Research of Latvian National Defence Academy

Dr Jānis BĒRZIŅŠ

Director of Research of Latvian National Defence Academy

Dr Moataz A. FATTAH

Associate Professor of Political Science at Cairo University and Central Michigan University

Dr Moataz A. FATTAH

Associate Professor of Political Science at Cairo University and Central Michigan University

Dr James SHERR

Associate Fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House

Dr James SHERR

Associate Fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House

Timothy JUDAH

Special Correspondent, The Economist, the United Kingdom

Timothy JUDAH

Special Correspondent, The Economist, the United Kingdom

Anthony L. GARDNER

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union

Anthony L. GARDNER

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union

Dr Daniela Schwarzer

Senior Director of Research, Director of the Europe Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States

Dr Daniela Schwarzer

Senior Director of Research, Director of the Europe Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States

Dr Constanze Stelzenmüller

Robert Bosch Senior Fellow with the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings

Dr Constanze Stelzenmüller

Robert Bosch Senior Fellow with the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings

Constanze Stelzenmüller, an expert on German, European, and transatlantic foreign and security policy and strategy, is the inaugural Robert Bosch senior fellow with the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings. Prior to working at Brookings, she was a senior transatlantic fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), where she directed the influential Transatlantic Trends survey program. Her areas of expertise include: transatlantic relations; German foreign policy; NATO; the European Union’s foreign, security and defense policy; international law; and human rights.

Celeste A. Wallander

Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director, Russia and Central Asia, National Security Council, The White House

Celeste A. Wallander

Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director, Russia and Central Asia, National Security Council, The White House

Dr Hans Binnendijk

Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

Dr Hans Binnendijk

Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

Dr. Hans Binnendijk is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and at RAND. He has just produced books on the Pivot to Asia and on Strategic Blunders. Until July 4, 2012 he was the Vice President for Research and Applied Learning at the National Defense University and Theodore Roosevelt Chair in National Security Policy. He previously served on the National Security Council staff as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control. He also served as Principal Deputy Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff and Legislative Director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has received three Distinguished Public Service Awards. In academia, he was Director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University and Deputy Director at London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies. He has written widely on U.S. national security issues, on NATO and on Asia. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Fletcher School and as Chairman of the Board of Humanity in Action.

H E Mr Børge Brende

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

H E Mr Børge Brende

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

Carl BILDT

Former Swedish Foreign Minister

Carl BILDT

Former Swedish Foreign Minister

Jean-Marie GUÉHENNO

President and CEO, International Crisis Group (ICG)

Jean-Marie GUÉHENNO

President and CEO, International Crisis Group (ICG)

Dr Žaneta OZOLIŅA

Vice-Chairman of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation, Professor of the Department of Political Science, University of Latvia

Dr Žaneta OZOLIŅA

Vice-Chairman of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation, Professor of the Department of Political Science, University of Latvia

Žaneta Ozoliņa has been Professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Latvia, since 2002 and was Head of the Department during 2004-2008. Her research interests focus on European integration, EU and NATO enlargement, international and regional security, as well as security in the Baltic Sea Region. Žaneta Ozoliņa is the author of more than 80 scholarly articles and editor of several books, including such as “Latvia’s View of the Future of the European Union” (2007), “Latvia-Russia-X” (2007), “Rethinking Security” (2010). She was the Chairwoman of the Strategic Analysis Commission under the auspices of the President of Latvia (2004-2008) and a member of the European Research Area Board (European Commission) from 2008-2012. She serves on the Foreign Affairs Council of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Baltic Development Forum. She regularly delivers lectures at foreign universities. She is one of the authors of the Report “Global Governance of Science” published by the European Commission. Žaneta is also a director of the Center for International Studies

Raimonds VĒJONIS

President of the Republic of Latvia

Raimonds VĒJONIS

President of the Republic of Latvia

Mr. Vejonis is currently the President of the Republic of Latvia (since July 2015). Before holding his current position, Mr. Vejonis was the Minister of Defence (2014-2015) and the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Latvia (2002-2011). His other positions covered various activities at different state agencies. Mr. Vejonis was a member of the strategic development Commission (2012-2014); Chairman of the Public Administration and Local Government Committee’s Subcommittee on Drafting and Implementation of the National Development Plan (2011-2014); Chairman of the Baltic Affairs Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs Committee; member of the National Security Committee (2011-2014). At the same time, he was a member of the Public Administration and Local Government Committee. Mr. Vejonis also served as a member of the 11th Saeima (2011-2014). Raimonds Vējonis has graduated from the Faculty of Biology of the University of Latvia, he has Master’s Degree in Biology and several scientific publications in the field of environmental engineering. He has enriched his knowledge in Tampere University of Technology and Tallinn University of Technology.

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