LATO's Podcast

Many European Union Eastern partnership countries countries are striving for development and moving closer to the European Union. Nevertheless, they are facing many challenges because of the necessary reforms, popular support, and external and internal challenges. Since they are at the eastern border of the EU, there are serious strategic considerations they must bear in mind. In this episode the focus will be on Moldova.In what direction Moldova will move further? Could Eastern Partnership countries could be the bridge between East and West? How NATO could support Moldova?Join the discussion between Victoria Roșa, Foreign Policy & Security Associated Expert, Foreign Policy Association of Moldova and Sigita Struberga, Secretary-General of Latvian Transatlantic Organisation.

Three Seas Initiative is a regional platform by 12 EU member states, located between 3 seas – Baltic, Black and Adriatic. The platform is meant for fostering cooperation and investment in Central and Eastern European. Three Seas Initiative is comparatively a new project, only being active for a few years. Launched in 2016 by presidents of Poland and Croatia as a political statement, it is gaining more traction and recognition than ever. What is this initiative? Why is there a growing interest in Three Seas Initiative? Does the initiative work? These are just some of the questions to be addressed during this interview. For this episode of our podcast, Gints Amoliņš, Foreign News Correspondent, LTV and Wojciech Przybylski, Editor-In-Chief, Visegrad Insight, try to answer these challenging questions. The interview is part of a series developed in the context of the annual Rīga Conferences organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. The purpose of the series is to keep discussions alive in between consecutive conferences.

Resilience like many other things can be considered a buzzword. Resilience is being discussed in NATO, in the European Union, as well as many nations are drafting their own resilience strategies and concepts. Recent events, such as, COVID-19 and Suez Canal blockage, reminded countries to review and ramp up their resilience to be able to respond to different modern challenges effectively and rapidly. However, we have to start with a question – what exactly is resilience? Why resilience now is forefront in the security discourse? How will this change the life of the regular citizen? How can we asses the level of resilience?In this episode Ieva Bērziņa, Senior Researcher from National Defence Academy of Latvia, interviews Vitālijs Rakstiņš, Head of Crisis Management Department in Ministry of Defence of Latvia about resilience. The interview is part of a series developed in the context of the annual Rīga Conferences organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. This episode is dedicated to The Rīga Conference Future Leaders Forum, which is an event that bring together young leaders that are interested in security, defence and transatlantic matters. The purpose of the series is to keep discussions alive in between consecutive conferences.

There is a lot of talk that youth involvement and education are essential for shaping the future, so more and more institutions are trying to introduce a youth perspective. If we are speaking not only regionally but also internationally, several organisations also offer different programmes to young people, such as the UN Youth Delegate programme, the various initiatives of the European Union, as for example EU Youth Dialogue, etc. In Latvia, one of the largest youth involvement projects of this kind is the Youth Saeima. Nevertheless, do young people feel that their views are appreciated, and do they feel heard? Are these types of projects and programs more meant to educate young people or to provide them with a platform to influence decisions in some way? What could be done differently? What is the real motivation for youth to be civically, socially, and politically active?For this episode of our podcast, Elīna Smetaņina, Student of International Relations in Rīga Stradiņš University, Natālija Knipše, the Latvian Youth Delegate to the United Nations, and Selma Levrence, Human Rights and Environmental activist, youth organization "Protests" chairwoman, try to answer these challenging questions.The interview is part of a series developed in the context of the annual Rīga Conferences organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. This episode is dedicated to The Rīga Conference Future Leaders Forum, which is an event that bring together young leaders that are interested in security, defence and transatlantic matters. The purpose of the series is to keep discussions alive in between consecutive conferences.

The confrontations across Israel-Palestine are well on the way to becoming one of the worst spasms of violence there in recent memory. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a long and complex history, however over the last few weeks the violence has escalated bringing it to the centre of attention. Both sides do not seem to be giving up, the number of victims are increasing and the Gaza strip is on the verge on a new humanitarian crisis. But the conflict is also in Palestine within – with two leading powers the society is divided now more than ever without any foreseeable solution. Who is leading the conflict in the region? Can we even define where Palestinians end, and Israelis begin? Is such a divide even necessary? These are just some of the questions to be addressed during this interview.For this episode of our podcast, Toms Muižarājs Political Journalist, LSM.lv and Frederiks Ozols Political observer specializing in Middle East/Asia Studies, try to answer these challenging questions.The interview is part of a series developed in the context of the annual Rīga Conferences organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. The purpose of the series is to keep discussions alive in between consecutive conferences.

Ever since the sudden 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, Russia’s future and the actions of its take-charge leader Vladimir Putin have remained prominent topics within the international community. While initially expected by Western leaders to become a flourishing and proper democracy, Russia’s has proven otherwise. It begs the question - why is Russia doing that? Can this kind of politic considered to be rational? Does Putin himself believe the narrative he’s created of most Russia’s neighbours posing a threat to its safety? Do the Russian people truly believe that? Furthermore, why does Russia focus so much on Ukraine? Is there a real possibility of a full war on Ukraine? Will Russia’s elite and it’s way of life never change? These are just some of the questions to be addressed during this interview.For this episode of our podcast, Andrey Makarychev, visiting professor at Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at University of Tartu with broad experience in Russian foreign policy discourses and international security, along with Alexey Grigoryev, Vice-chairman of the board of the Baltic to Black Sea Alliance, former Latvian journalist and politician of the Supreme Council, try to answer these challenging questions. The interview is part of a series developed in the context of the annual Rīga Conferences organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. The purpose of the series is to keep discussions alive in between consecutive conferences.

More than 200 days have passed since Belarus held its presidential elections. A significant part of the international community does not recognize the results of this election. The Belarusian regime and its society are also under disagreement on the issue. The people of Belarus demand their democratic rights to self-governance, to influence national decisions and to have their fundamental freedoms restored. They demonstrate heroism, self-sacrifice, and solidarity despite the reluctance of Lukashenko’s elite to cede power and its attempts to maintain the previous status quo by all means necessary, including violence. Should the protesters regroup and develop new strategies to achieve their ambitions? What is the role of the Coordination Council? What is the old opposition and is it systematic? What is the role of the "All Belarusian Assembly" and where will it lead in the future? What is the role of Russia in Belarus? These are just some of the critical and unanswered questions asked by different stakeholders. In this interview, Vadim Mojeiko, Political Analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies and Uģis Lībietis, Member of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation and Journalist from the Public Broadcasting of Latvia, discuss the newest development in Belarus and seek for answers. The interview is part of a series developed in the context of the annual Rīga Conference organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. The purpose of the series is to keep discussions alive in between consecutive conferences.  

Moldova currently is at a crossroads between a pro-European approach represented by the current President Maia Sandu and a pro-Russian approach represented by its former President Igor Dodon. A changing international landscape, such as a progressive rapprochement between the EU and the East, may offer new perspectives for conflict settlement. What political turbulences and challenges impact and influence Moldova’s path towards European? Do Moldovans favour a pro-European approach? How has the COVID-19 crisis affected the pro-reformist movement in Moldova? Has Moldova become resistant to outside pressure? These and other questions will be addressed in this episode. In this interview Iulian Groza, expert on foreign policy, European affairs and good governance, executive director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (Chisinau, Moldova) and Mārtiņš Mūrnieks, Member of the Board of Latvian Transatlantic Organisation and Head of Eastern Partnership Program at the Baltic Centre of Media Excellence, seek answers to the questions above while discussing the newest developments in Moldova. The interview is part of a series developed in the context of the annual Rīga Conference organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. The purpose of the series is to keep discussions alive in between consecutive conferences.  

Over the last few years, discussions on the future of the EU-US relationship have become increasingly important. Even though a new administration has taken over some questions have lingered. Where does the EU-US relationship stand? Can we say that there is a unilateral understanding within the US towards its allies in the EU? Can we identify a lack of common understanding between Europeans and Americans? How was Borrell’s visit to Russia perceived across the Atlantic? Does the wish for strategic autonomy influence EU-US relations in the same way as “America First”? How independent can the EU really be whilst involved with the US? Can the EU viably look at military autonomy as an option? These are just a few of the questions that are addressed in this interview. In this interview, Stanley Sloan, one of America’s top experts on EU-US relations, the founding Director of the Atlantic Community Initiative and Anna Ūdre, Journalist and Foreign News Editor at Latvian Television seek answers to answer these challenging questions.  The interview is part of a series developed in the context of the annual Rīga Conferences organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. The purpose of the series is to keep discussions alive in between consecutive conferences.