On 12 and 13 May 2025, in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Under Secretary of State, Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ivars Lasis, attended the meeting of Political Directors from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic states and Nordic countries and officials from the United States Department of State, e-PINE (Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe). The meeting was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the importance and positive dynamics of transatlantic relations between the U.S. and the Baltic and Nordic countries in transatlantic cooperation.
The meeting focused on the matters of strengthening the security and defence in the Euro-Atlantic space, the security situation in Europe, in particular, the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, hybrid threats, and risks posed by Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Baltic Sea. As concerns the sanctions policy, Ivars Lasis underlined the need to continue pressure on Russia and its supporters, including by advancing towards full independence from the Russian energy resources, and make further effort to prevent the circumvention of sanctions. China and current developments in the Middle East were also on the agenda.
The e-PINE initiative was launched in 2003 in order to enhance the U.S. cooperation with the Baltic and Nordic region. Political Directors from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs meet twice a year. The main fields of cooperation in the e-PINE format are security policy, relations with neighbouring countries, and the development of economic relations.