Events

On December 10, the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center (GSSC), in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, the Atlantic Council, the German Embassy in Vilnius, the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and other partners, organized the tenth annual conference in memory of Lithuania’s Chief Diplomat, Stasys Lozoraitis.

The analytical think tank, marking its 18th year of operation, has changed its name and will now be known as the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center (GSSC). Along with this name change, the Center is refocusing its research areas to concentrate on Eurasian affairs, transatlantic security, and strengthening societal resilience.

On 4 July, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre hosted the discussion "NATO Summit: aspirations and opportunities for Lithuania". Together with the Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas and the President's Senior Adviser on National Security Kęstutis Budrys, we discussed the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington and the realities of the international arena surrounding it.

On July 1, 2024, the EESC hosted an event to launch its new Russia research programme. The purpose of the programme is to deepen the understanding of the current Russian regime, opposition, and society, and to analyze the processes and political trends taking place in Russia. The discussion featured Lithuanian MEP and former Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, former Lithuanian Ambassador to Russia Remigijus Motuzas, and key Russian opposition figure and former political companion of Alexei Navalny, Leonid Volkov.

On June 25th, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre organised the discussion “Expectations for the NATO Summit 2024 in Washington”.

On June 19, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, together with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lithuania and the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University, organized the third Lithuanian-Dutch Foreign Policy and Security Conference.

On June 18th, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, together with the Civil Defense and Security Analysis Center Locked N' Loaded, we continued the discussion series "Lithuanian Security Policy Breakfast." The second topic of the discussion cycle was "Development of a Lithuanian Division.”

On June 13th, the EESC, together with the Lithuanian Embassy in France and Collège des Bernardins, organized a discussion "From Vilnius to Washington: Further Steps in Strengthening the Security and Defense of NATO's Eastern Wing."

On June 6th, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre organized a discussion "Sanctions Against Russia: Efficacy and Future Implications," where we discussed the impact of Western sanctions on Russia with Daniel Fried, the former US ambassador to Poland.

On May 31st, we continued the roundtable discussion format "Coffee and International Politics" at the Eastern Europe Studies Centre. This time, the conversation was devoted to the energy sector of Ukraine. Saulius Rimutis, the EESC Associate Expert, shared his insights on this topic, including the damage Ukraine has suffered in this sector during the war and the country's future energy potential.

On May 30th, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre organized a discussion dedicated to the European integration of Ukraine and other related topics. Among the participants were a delegation of decision-makers from the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada and Jonas Ohmanas, the founder of the non-governmental organization "Blue/Yellow."

With the NATO summit in Washington approaching, on May 28th, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre organized an event during which we discussed issues related to this summit and other relevant topics about NATO with Lithuanian Ambassador to NATO Deividas Matulionis.

On May 20th, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre organized a discussion in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania under the title "Lithuania's Interests in Shaping the EU Development Strategy." During the conversation with the Center's Associate Expert, Justinas Mickus, who presented his study "EU Reforms in View of Enlargement and Economic Security: Towards an Integrated Approach to European Self-Transformation," we discussed the most important issues related to this topic.

On May 16th, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, together with the Lithuanian Embassy in France and the Collège des Bernardins, hosted the discussion "UN in the Changing International Affairs Environment: A New Reality and a New Opportunity" in Paris.

On April 30th, Ignas Vėgėlė, a candidate for the post of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, visited the EESC and presented his key insights on foreign policy and national security.

We continue our format of discussions with the candidates for the President of the Republic of Lithuania, during which the candidates share their most important theses on foreign policy and national security. On April 26th, candidate Eduardas Vaitkus shared his insights on these topics.

In the roundtable discussion format ”Coffee and International Politics”, on April 26th we discussed NATO and Ukraine with Danish expert Henrik Larsen. The topics ranged from NATO's plans to arm Ukraine to the actions of EU members in supporting the country in the future.

On April 25th we were delighted to host the the Delegation of Flanders in Poland and the Baltic States at the EESC. During the visit, Prof. dr. Sven Biscop gave the lecture ”Europe Rediscovers Geopolitics: from Ukraine to Taiwan”

On April 24th, the EESC continued its traditional discussion format, the 'Lithuanian Security Policy Breakfast,' together with Center for Civil Defense and Security Analysis “Locked N' Loaded”.

On April 23, Prime Minister and candidate for President of the Republic of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė visited the Eastern Europe Studies Centre. She presented her most important theses regarding foreign policy and national security.

On April 11, Chief of Defence of Lithuania, Gen. Valdemaras Rupšys, visited the EESC for a discussion on a wide range of security and defence aspects.

Continuing the format of roundtable discussions, "Coffee and International Politics," on March 29th we discussed the political trends in Taiwan and China with the EESC Associate Expert, Raigirdas Boruta. During the conversation, we explored topics such as the Taiwanese presidential election and its influence on the processes of adopting laws within the country, as well as Beijing's cautious reaction and China's foreign policy and technological ambitions.

After a visit to Washington and meetings with experts and decision-makers, the Centre’s Director, Linas Kojala, and Senior Project Manager Simona Merkinaitė shared their insights from the trip. The discussion mostly focused on the issues regarding the US presidential election, the future of NATO, and support for Ukraine.

Today, the discussion on "Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland's Policy towards Belarus and what we can do about the independence of Belarus" took place at the EESC, where political scientist and VU TSPMI lecturer, Dr. Mariusz Antonowicz, shared his insights on the topic. Adam Roževič, Policy Analyst at the EESC, moderated the event. During the conversation, we discussed the development of the policies of these three states in relation to Belarus and efforts to strengthen Belarus' sovereignty.

With only two months remaining before the presidential elections in Lithuania, Andrius Mazuronis, who is seeking the post of candidate for President of the Republic of Lithuania, visited the EESC today and shared his main insights on security and foreign policy with experts and media representatives.

Experts from Sweden, Ukraine, and Belgium visited the Eastern Europe Studies Centre and discussed the perception of the morale of Russian soldiers, Russian public opinion, and attitudes towards Russia's war against Ukraine.

As debates on the fate of schools in Lithuania, where teaching takes place in Russian, intensify, the Eastern Europe Studies Center, in cooperation with Delfi RU, organized a discussion which focused on the impact of educational reforms on national minorities, their perspectives on the proposed integration and education models, and the teaching of the Lithuanian language in these schools.

As the presidential elections are approaching, we continue our series of discussions with candidates - today the Centre was visited by Giedrimas Jeglinskas, who discussed with media representatives and experts the main aspects of his programme related to national security and foreign policy.

Today, during the discussion "China-friendly narratives in the Baltics: how are they received by our societies?", the Eastern Europe Studies Centre (EESC) presented the study "Classic Cleavages in a New Light: Chinese Informational Influence in the Baltics", prepared in cooperation with the Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA) and the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS). The study measured the Baltic countries' susceptibility/resilience against Chinese narratives from three different perspectives: socio-economic, international politics, and values.

Today, in the third round of discussions with candidates for the post of President of the Republic of Lithuania, Dainius Žalimas visited the center. The candidate shared his main theses on defence and foreign policy.

Today, the Centre's Director, Linas Kojala, and Member of the Seimas, Dovilė Šakalienė, discussed key insights from the Munich Security Conference, which took place on 16-18 February, and its side-event organized by EESC for the second year in a row.

On February 15, a delegation of German officers visited Eastern Europe Studies Centre (EESC) and together with VU TSPMI lecturer, political scientist dr. Mariusz Antonowicz discussed the most important regional security issues.

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre, in cooperation with Expert-Grup, an independent think-tank based in Moldova, organised a discussion in Chisinau yesterday to share best practices in the field of strategic communication and countering disinformation.

Continuing our series of discussions with presidential candidates, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre hosted presidential candidate Aurelijus Veryga, who shared his foreign policy and national security priorities with experts and media representatives.

The President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, visited the Eastern Europe Studies Centre and shared his thoughts on the country's most important foreign and national security challenges.

On 12 December, the EESC, together with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, organised the 9th Annual EESC Conference on Lithuanian Foreign Policy, Commemorating Stasys Lozoraitis. The conference took place at the Grand Hotel Kempinski Vilnius and covered Ukraine's struggle for its freedom, the role of artificial intelligence in international relations, Germany's role in Lithuania and Europe's security infrastructure, and the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington DC.

On December 1st, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre (EESC) held a discussion featuring Thomas Gomart, the director of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), moderated by Justinas Mickus, an associated expert at the EESC. The event centred on key topics such as European strategic autonomy, the future of European security and defence, and the implications of an unstable global environment.

Lapkričio 27 d. RESC vyko diskusija "Ukrainos ir Moldovos kelias į Europą: kova su propaganda, dezinformacija ir strateginės komunikacijos kūrimas".

Today, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre presented one of its major publications of the year - the study "Adaptation and Integration of Migrants from Ukraine in Lithuania". Together with co-author Svitlana Kostrykina, the EESC’s Chief Research Officer Tomas Janeliūnas presented the results of the study and discussed the main issues faced by migrants from Ukraine, ranging from employment and health care to education, to social adaptation and integration.

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU, organised a high-level discussion on changes in EU enlargement policy and access.

Our guest today was Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský. We discussed the implications of Russia's aggression against Ukraine for European security, other geopolitical challenges, and the importance of Western unity.

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre, in collaboration with the Independent Think Tank “Expert-Grup,” is pleased to announce the selection of journalists for a specialized program supporting quality journalism in Moldova. The activities are part of the project titled “Building Strategic Communication to Counter Russian Disinformation in Moldova.”

Dr. Oleksandr Shulga, Head of the Institute of Conflict Studies and Analysis of Russia (IKAR), visited the Eastern Europe Studies Centre. He presented the Institute's study "Mirror of Russia: The Sixth Wave", which looked at the Russian public's perception of Russia's war against Ukraine.

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre presents a new entry in the Quo Vadis, China? podcast series, titled "Philippines and China: Cooperation Amidst Confrontation?"

The discussion focused on the challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region and the potential for deeper cooperation between like-minded countries.

On 14 September, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre hosted the discussion "Challenges, Trends, and Responses in the International Transport Domain" to examine key challenges and potential solutions for today's transport and logistics sector. We were joined by Young Tae Kim, Secretary General of the International Transport Forum, and Agnė Vaiciukevičiūtė, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania.

The NATO Public Forum was co-organised by NATO, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, the Atlantic Council, the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Munich Security Conference, kicked off today.

Mr Wallmark started the discussion by stressing the security report released by the Swedish Government which emphasized that “NATO, EU and Swedish security are a part of the same triangle”.

The event mainly focused on the US vision and objectives in the Indo-Pacific region, its partnership with the European Union and countries in the region.

The discussion revolved around the prospects for a tribunal for the Russian aggresion against Ukraine, analysing the issue through several lenses, including jurisdictional processes, political will, and international cooperation.

The speakers stressed the need to strengthen further cooperation with Pacific partners, particularly in the area of information and intelligence.

This time, the latest developments concerning Belarusian society and media and the repression against them were discussed.

The event revolved around the historical origins of the current Russian system, the relationship between society and the state, how the war and its course have shaped this relationship, and the prospects for the future of Russian statehood.

The results of the survey conducted by IKAR show a simultaneous acceptance of contradictory beliefs in Russian society.

The discussion focused on the scenarios on Russian War in Ukraine, what would happen in a worst-case scenario, and what consequences this would have for our region.

According to Mr Bechev, Kilicdaroglu was predicted to win 49% of the vote and Erdogan 45%. However, the opposite happened.

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre hosted German General (Ret.) Jörg Vollmer. During the conversation we explored Lithuania’s future security prospects, NATO capabilities, and challenges. The discussion highlighted the paradigm shift in NATO’s focus since 9/11 and areas needing improvement.

Today, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania hosted the discussion “Energy security in Europe in a time of transformation”, which examined the shifts in the energy sector in the EU after the start of the Russian war in Ukraine.

On 28 April, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre hosted the fourth discussion of its “Coffee and International Politics“ ("Kava ir tarptautinė politika") format. This time we discussed recent political developments in China.

“Quo vadis, China?” is the new podcast from the Eastern Europe Studies Centre that aims to provide informative and insightful discussions on current events, historical context, and the political and economic landscape of China.

During our informal meeting we discussed international affairs and were delighted that the President was once again visiting the EESC conference hall named after him.

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre, in cooperation with the Chatham House Russia and Eurasia Programme and Lithuanian Embassy in London, hosted the discussion "Is Europe ready to face hardships in support of Ukraine?".

This panel discusses the place for Ukraine in the European security framework and Europe’s preparedness to continue supporting Ukraine in a prolonged war.

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre, in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, hosted the discussion “What does Zeitenwende mean for NATO's Eastern Flank?”, which mainly focused on the changes in Germany's foreign and security policy since 24 February 2022.

Our Centre’s Director, “Munich Young Leaders 2023” member Linas Kojala today shared his insights on the main topics of the Munich Security Conference, which took place on 17-19 February, as well as on global security trends.  

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre (EESC), in cooperation with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), is bringing back the Vilnius Young Leaders Meeting (VYLM) format and invites to apply for its 4th instalment, which is to be held on April 17–18 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The event focused on the current security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and the roles of Japan, Lithuania and the European Union in the region.

Giedrimas Jeglinskas is joining the team at the Eastern Europe Studies Centre (EESC). He will be the EESC’s Associated Expert on NATO-related topics. 

On 13 December, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Baltic States, organised the 8th Annual Conference on Lithuanian Foreign Policy. The conference introduced with a presentation of the latest EESC study "Barometer of Sustainability of Democracy”, based on a sociological survey of the Lithuanian population, as well as the annual publication "Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review”.

On 29 November, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, in cooperation with the Embassy of Canada in Lithuania, organised the roundtable discussion “Women in Combat Operations: why is it still a taboo?”.

The signing was followed by a discussion during which Yuliia Popyk, Head of International Cooperation, shared her insights on the current situation in Ukraine.

On 9 September, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, in cooperation with the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, and the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania, organised the event Building Baltic Consensus.

On 16 June, the Eastern Europe Studies Centre signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Clingendael Institute, the largest think tank in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The discussion was moderated by Dr Tomas Janeliūnas, Head of EESC Research Program, and featured the authors of the publications – Raigirdas Boruta and Dr Konstantinas Andrijauskas, Associate Experts of EESC’s China Research Program.

The discussion was attended by Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Chairman of the National Security and Defense Committee of the Republic of Lithuania (NSDC), Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis, and other guests took part in the discussion. The event was hosted by EESC Senior Policy Analyst Vladimir Laučius.

The author of the work, Reserve Colonel Gintaras Bagdonas, took part in the event, and the discussion was moderated by Dr Tomas Janeliūnas, the head of the EESC research programs.

During a discussion, which was moderated by the EESC’s director Linas Kojala, he discussed ongoing reforms in Ukraine, the importance of the Eastern Partnership format, security dilemma and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the country’s integration with transatlantic structures and matters of bilateral relations between Lithuania and Ukraine.

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre’s (EESC) conference hall was granted the title of the President Valdas Adamkus Conference Hall on Thursday.