| ||||
|
Since it was established in 1999, the Baltic Forum has brought together more than 500 participants for conferences and other events. Although its participants come from very diverse backgrounds and often hold opposite views on many issues, the Baltic Forum has succeeded in creating a positive environment where an open and constructive discussion on the most pressing issues concerning the region and Europe in general can take place. Its conferences, round-table discussions, analytical papers, reports and press-releases contribute to improve the quality of the debate and help people to better understand each other's views. Every year the Baltic Forum organizes international conferences with some of the most outstanding experts in their respective fields, like Dimitry Simes, President of The Nixon Center in Washington; John O´Sullivan, former Advisor to Primer Minister Margaret Thatcher and editor of The National Interest journal; Helmut Sonnenfeldt, Research fellow at the Brookings Institution, Charis Xirouhakis, a representative of the Council of the European Union, Carlos Closa, Deputy director of the Center for Political and Constitutional Studies in Madrid, and many others. Throughout the last six years many leading Russian politicians and experts have provided invaluable input to the conferences of the Baltic Forum: Sergei Karaganov, President of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy and Deputy Director of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Vladimir Averchev, Research Director at the Moscow branch of British Petroleum, Nadezhda Arbatova, Director of the European Integration Programs at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Sergei Oznobischev, Director of the Institute of Strategic Evaluations, Irina Hakamada, Member of the Russian Parliament. Latvia has been represented by top politicians and civil servants like Ingrida Udre, Chairwoman of the Parliament; Ainars Slesers, Minister of Transport and Communications; Ilmars Rimsevics, President of the Bank of Latvia; former Prime-Minister Andris Berzins; former Minister of Social Integration Nils Muiznieks; Director of Naturalization Board Eizenija Aldermane. Such well-known experts as Alfs Vanags, Director of the Baltic International Center of Research on Economic Policy and Brigita Zepa, Director of the Baltic institute of Social Science, and Ilze Brands-Kehris, Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies have also made significant contributions. The forum has also been honored by the participation of business leaders such as Oleg Stepanov and Juris Savickis.
|
||||
