Baltic Security Co-Operation: a Way Ahead

Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 Baltic Security Co-operation: a Way Ahead By Eitvydas Bajarûnas, Head of Foreign Policy Planning, MFA, Lithuania1 to appraise the main security challenges will benefit more if we are successful in Introduction of the Baltic Sea region, to examine cur- overcoming these old patterns and replace rent accomplishments of the three Baltic them with new habits of cooperation. Many outside observers recognize countries in their security cooperation That is a most elegant expression valid achievements of Estonia, Latvia and and, in that respect, to project major fu- even today. Lithuania - which celebrate 10 years of ture tasks. Indeed, viewed from the historical per- the restored independence - in implement- spective, the Baltic Sea region has experi- ing democracy, establishing functioning What is the Baltic enced a turbulent history where major free market economy, and engaging into security agenda? European powers - Russia (in the last cen- the wider world international co-opera- tury the Soviet Union), Germany and tion. Baltic foreign and security policies Assessing the security situation of the others - have regularly tried to exercise contributed to making them stand for Baltic countries U.S. Secretary of State M. strategic and ideological influence. stability, openness, dynamic development Albright in her speech in Vilnius in July Through out history fundamental rights and ability to cope with the many chal- 1997 presented it in such way: ... per- have been ignored. The smaller countries lenges of globalization. Commemoration haps no part of Europe has suffered more in the region have suffered dispropor- of a decade of a successful return to the from the old pattern of geopolitics than tionately through repeated occupation global community marks the right time the Baltic states ... and no part of Europe and oppression by their larger neighbors. 43 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 For centuries they have found themselves offers the world-market excellent trade approach to an undivided Europe. A sig- in a gray zone of uncertainty, governed opportunities, a good climate of foreign nificant factor here is the present day by power not by principles of law or investments, transit routes, and a steadily Russias involvement in partnership rela- moral. growing network of international, gov- tionship with the Western institutions. The peace treaties of 1920 between the ernmental and non-governmental arrange- The U.S. and the EU are key players in Baltic countries and Russia were the first ments. the Baltic Sea region. Other countries in signs of Russias acceptance of their sov- The region has enormous potential, the region - Nordic, Poland, and Germany ereignty, although it never reconciled it- given the 90 millions people who live - also have great interests in the stability self with the loss of the Baltic countries. there, with rich natural and human re- of the area. The Soviet Russia occupied the three sources and excellent transit opportuni- Indeed, the Baltic Sea region might be countries in 1939, after Hitler donated ties. It has an investment conducive envi- considered as one of the most expanding them to Stalin in the secret Molotov- ronment, a highly skilled labor force, and regions in Europe and after the Baltic and Ribbentrop pact. The Yalta meeting of is hi-tech oriented. Polish membership in EU, the region will 1945 became a funeral for Baltic independ- The fall of the Soviet Union and other be able to reveal its entire potential. Four ence. During the Cold War the dividing totalitarian regimes in the East, the unifi- EU members Denmark, Germany, Fin- line of Europe went across the Baltic Sea cation of Germany, restoration of inde- land and Sweden - border the Baltic Sea, region, which became a strategic backwa- pendence of the Baltic countries, Finish four others - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ter that received little focus on interna- and Swedish membership in the EU and and Poland - are on the road to accede tional agendas. the Polish membership of NATO, fol- the Union and it is only a question of However, since the end of the Cold lowed by continuing European and Trans- time when it happens. Finally, Russia is War, the region has become an impor- atlantic integration processes all provide in a partnership and co-operation arrange- tant focal point where U.S., EUs and unique opportunities for creating stabil- ment with EU (although limited because Russias policies are intercrossed. There is ity and well-being around the Baltic Sea. of continued Chechen war) and declares a widespread understanding that the Bal- The Baltic region has become a labora- its intention to expand her relationship tic Sea region is one of the most dynami- tory example to other parts of Europe with the Union. For these reasons the cally developing, outward-looking and for promoting closer regional coopera- Baltic Sea has been called a future inner promising regions in Europe. The region tion, and as a test case for the Western EU lake. 44 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 Today, only one decade after the end nority rights and settle their disputes challenges, ambiguity and certain insta- of the Cold War and the restored inde- peacefully. bility of a wider scope that still character- pendence of the Baltic countries, the is- The Baltic Sea region today appears to ize the region, to notice if distrust, which sues of the zones of influence, boundary be safe from destructive forces that could may come to us from the past, still domi- disputes, ethnic hatred and other past cause tension among its states and for the nates relationships, if asymmetrical balance problems have become irrelevant on the moment traditional military security is of capability still remain a source of ten- security agendas of the Baltic Region. In- less relevant in this region. Problems, sions - is it possible that a Cold war type deed, immediately after the collapse of the which dominated agendas in the first years of conflict again can become pertinent in Berlin Wall, there were many warnings that of independence the presence of Rus- the regional context? the end of the old socialist system might sian troops on the soil of the Baltic coun- These are more theoretical questions, revitalize old hatreds in Central and East- tries, a high degree of militarization in but there are many practical issues as the ern Europe. For 40 years communism had the Baltic neighborhood, tensions due to economic security, enlargement of both suppressed ethnic nationalism, frontier unsolved minority and human rights is- the EU and NATO, regional cooperation disputes and minority discontents. Today sues in Estonia and Latvia, unilateral de- and neighborhood issues, including Rus- we can see that none of these evils has pendency from the Eastern energy sup- sia and its Kaliningrad region, the U.S. come to pass - with the exception of Cau- ply etc. no longer dominate the secu- presence and the wider security context. casus, some parts in Central Asia and rity agendas. The type of tension most Finally, not all states in the region en- Western Balkans. Everywhere else minor- likely to occur in the Baltic is not a mili- joy an equal sense of security status. ity rights have been guaranteed and exist- tary threat, but rather the highly charged, Neighbors of the three Baltic countries - ing borders were either reaffirmed or tense political situation which could turn Nordic countries - are solidly integrated changed by consent. This extraordinary into violent actions, extremist group ac- both internally and with the rest of Eu- success is above all due to the enlargement tions, drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal rope. Presently many outsiders still regard processes of the EU and NATO to the migration etc. the case of the Baltic trio as somewhat East. It has promised prosperity and sta- But even these threats are regarded as different. Although a joined community bility to potential new members in re- manageable within the existing institu- of sovereign countries, institutionally and turn for their willingness to carry tions and cooperative structures. More mentally they are still apart. This pattern through market reforms, protect mi- important is to detect what elements of of ambiguity shows that further reflec- 45 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 tion is needed on the place and functions kept under totalitarian regimes or dur- That is why it is of crucial importance of the Baltic security cooperation. ing the short prewar period of independ- for the EU to continue the enlargement ence fluctuating in between the East and process. EU, unfortunately, is badly con- Enlargement of West, the Baltic countries in case of EU flicted on the issue of expanding the the European Union membership would for the forthcoming Union-membership. Some countries, e.g. years be earmarked as a constituent part Germany, would like EU membership for One can say that what is happening in of the democratic West. some of its eastern neighbors, but is con- the enlargement process of the EU is that Indeed, the Baltics as well as other cerned about the free movement of east- Europe is returning to where it belongs, countries membership in the EU will have ern workers into Germany and illegal to its original sites, from which it had to a positive impact on the stability in the immigrants. EU politicians also shrink withdraw temporarily. Membership in the region and will be beneficial to its from farm-subsidy reforms regarded as EU is a precondition for modernization neighbors. Baltic Sea states regional co- necessary if the EU is to bear the cost of of the Baltic countries economies and operation, particularly among the states the entry of heavily agricultural states. societies as well as for fully-fledged par- of the Baltic Sea, Latvia and Estonia, as Be as it is the EU has already started its ticipation in the international commu- well as the strategic partnership with Po- journey towards the Baltics.

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