Japan-Baltic States Partnership in the Context of Indo-Pacific

Within the framework of the Asia program, in cooperation with Japan Embassy in Latvia, the Latvian Institute of International Affairs invites you to the seminar: "Japan-Baltic States Partnership in the Context of Indo-Pacific," held on 24 February from 09:00 - 11:00 /EET, online. The discussion will focus on main opportunities and changes in the Baltic region and Japan dealing with security and economic challenges and opportunities as well as future collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.

The seminar will be held via the ZOOM platform, please confirm your participation here, and we will provide you with the link shortly before the discussion. 

9:00 - 9:15: Opening addresses:

  • Andris Sprūds, Director at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs and Professor at the Faculty of European Studies of the Riga Stradiņš University.
  • Yasushi Takase, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Latvia. 

9:15–10:45: Panel discussion: "Japan and Baltics – Towards Common Goals Globally".

Participants:

  • Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Head of the Asia program at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs.
  • Vida Macikenaite, Assistant Professor at Graduate School of International Relations, University of Japan.
  • Tosh Minohara, Professor of US-Japan Relations and Diplomatic History at Kobe University.
  • Tsuneo Watanabe, Senior Fellow of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Moderated by Andris Sprūds, Director at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, Professor at the Faculty of European Studies of the Riga Stradiņš University.

More and more, the Indo-Pacific region has emerged as a critical area of engagement of great power competition. The growing geopolitical tension in the region has caused not only regional players, such as Japan, but also the United States and European countries to concentrate their attention on developments there. China's growing influence across the region raises pressing questions for the U.S. and broader transatlantic community strategy in the region. What opportunities and challenges does this pose for the Baltic States? What are the options and areas of cooperation between the Baltics and Japan? Those and other questions we will discuss in the upcoming seminar!

In 2021, Latvia and Japan celebrated 100 years of friendship. There is a strong collaboration and shared aims to advance multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and economic cooperation between Latvia and Japan and the wider European Union.

Publicēts 14. februāris, 2022