Greenwood Paper Special Issue
The Regional Dimension in Latvian Security Policy
Zaneta Ozolina
80 pages, ISBN 90-76301-08-5 (8 1999)
Zaneta Ozolina describes the international, regional, subregional and national levels in Latvian security policy. She explains how local dealings with the other Baltic States have evolved, how the country has engaged in building relations with the Scandinavians, and how Riga has viewed links with all the countries of the Baltic littoral, including Russia. After giving a comprehensive analysis of regionalism and other concepts the author emphasises the role of regional ties in safeguarding Latvian security. She also clearly exposes the tension between fostering new connections at the regional level and the strong desire of all three Baltic States to join established Euro-Atlantic structures. Though Latvia is fully involved in regional arrangements, none of these regional models can be seen as substitutes for EU and NATO membership. The formation of a security community of which Latvia is a part can contribute to stability and security, but cannot provide long-term 'hard' security guarantees. Therefore Latvia's attitude towards regionalism is ambivalent.
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The Regional Dimension in Latvian Security Policy
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