Organization for Regional and Inter-regional StudiesWaseda University

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【2018/1/26 Seminar Summary】Japan-Nordic Baltic Seminar “The Security Environment Confronting the Nordic and Baltic States”

  • Date&Time
    Friday, 26 January 2018, 14:30-18:00
  • Venue
    Ono Memorial Hall, Building 27, Waseda Campus, Waseda University
  • Co-organizers
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
    Organization for Regional and Inter-regional Studies (ORIS) / EUIJ Waseda, Waseda University
  • Language
    Japanese and English (simultaneous interpretation provided)

Overview

Waseda ORIS / EUIJ Waseda co-organized the Japan-Nordic Baltic Seminar with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. This seminar addressed the issue of international security, and we invited distinguished speakers from the Nordic and Baltic countries as well as Japan.

Ms. Takako Tsujisaka, Director of the Western Europe Division of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warmly welcomed the speakers, guests and all other participants. It was followed by a keynote speech by Prof. Norio Okazawa (Professor Emeritus of Waseda University / member of “the 150th Anniversary of Japan-Sweden Diplomatic Relations” Committee), who gave an overview of the historical relations between Japan and the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Then, six speakers provided lectures on their own countries’ security issues, and each lecture was followed by a Q&A session. These speakers were: Kristian Søby Kristensen from Denmark (Deputy head of centre, Centre for Military Studies, Copenhagen University), Sven Sakkov from Estonia (Director, International Centre for Defence and Security), Charly Salonius-Pasternak from Finland (Senior Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs), Ólöf Hrefna Kristjánsdóttir from Iceland (Counsellor/ Directorate for International and Security Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs), Jo Inge Bekkevold from Norway (Head of Centre for Asian Security Studies, Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies), and Julius Liljeström from Sweden (Head of Department, Department for European Security Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs). All lectures took into account both the domestic political context and the international environment (relations with great powers such as the US, Russia and China, and international organizations such as NATO, the EU and the OSCE). This series of talks gave the participants a better understanding of the similarities and differences between these countries in terms of security challenges.

Prof. Hidetoshi Nakamura, Head of the ORIS European Research Unit, expressed his sincere gratitude to the speakers and the audience, while wishing for continuing collaboration between Japan and the Nordic and Baltic States.

                   

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