Defense experts converge on Tallinn

  • 2014-04-25
  • From wire reports, TALLINN

The seventh Lennart Meri Conference, “The Security of Mare Nostrum and Beyond: The Return of Northern Europe to the World Scene?” will be held from April 25 - 27 in Tallinn, reports LETA. The overarching theme of the discussions this year will be the security of Northern Europe and the regions adjacent to it, including the Arctic, the organizers of the conference said at their homepage.

The conference will feature discussions and debates on such issues as the political, military and economic aspects of Northern European security, Russia, Ukraine, the Arctic challenges and opportunities, energy security, transatlantic relations, Eastern partnership, the future of NATO, and cyber security.

The Conference will begin in the evening of April 25 and conclude at lunchtime on April 27. Attendance will be by invitation only, but the plenary sessions of the Conference will be available through real time webcast.

The opening session of the conference, "The Security of Mare Nostrum and Beyond" will have Toomas Hendrik Ilves, president of Estonia; Carl Haglund, minister of defense, Finland; Douglas Lute, U.S. Ambassador to NATO; Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Denmark participating.

Other prominent officials participating in the conference include Carl Bildt, minister for foreign affairs, Sweden; Urmas Paet, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Estonia; Riho Terras, MG, Chief of Defense, Estonia; Jaroslav Neverovic, Minister of Energy, Lithuania; Sven Mikser, Minister of Defense, Estonia; Taavi Roivas, prime minister of Estonia.

The Conference will be arranged jointly by the International Center for Defense Studies (ICDS) and the Lennart Meri Foundation.