Strengthening Baltic Societal Resilience and Military Defence

The Annual Baltic Conference on Defence (ABCD) 2020, 30 September in Tallinn, Estonia

 

Tuesday, 29 September

19:00-21:00 Welcome dinner (by invitation only)
Address by Jüri RATAS, Prime Minister of Estonia

 

Wednesday, 30 September

08:00-09:00 Registration & coffee

09:00-10:15 Opening Session: Welcoming & keynote speeches
The welcoming speech by H.E. Kersti KALJULAID, President of Estonia

Keynote speeches:
H.E. Prof. João GOMES CRAVINHO, Minister of National Defence of Portugal
Jüri LUIK, Minister of Defence of Estonia

Followed by a discussion moderated by Sven SAKKOV, Director of the ICDS

10:15-10:45 Coffee break

10:45-12:15 Session One: The security and defence policy implications of COVID-19
Panellists:
The Baroness GOLDIE DL, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom
María Elena GÓMEZ CASTRO, Defence Policy Director, Ministry of Defence of Spain
Jan-Olof LIND, State Secretary, Ministry of Defence of Sweden
Dr. John MANZA, NATO Assistant Secretary General

Moderator: Tomas JERMALAVICIUS, Head of Studies / Research Fellow, ICDS

12:15-13:30 Lunch

13:30-15:00 Session Two: Deterrence and defence in the Baltic Sea region
Panellists:
Janne KUUSELA, Defence Policy Director, Ministry of Defence of Finland
General Jörg VOLLMER, Commander Joint Forces Command Brunssum
Lieutenant General Christopher G. CAVOLI, Commanding General U.S. Army Europe
Dr. Vaidotas URBELIS, Defence Policy Director, Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania

Moderator: Dr. Margarita ŠEŠELGYTĖ, Director, Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University

15:00-15:30 Coffee break

15:30-17:00 Session Three: The role of reserves in the foreseeable security environment
Panellists:
Brigadier The Rt Hon The Lord LANCASTER, Chair of the UK Reserve Forces 2030 Review, serving Reservist Brigadier and former Minister of State for the Armed Forces, United Kingdom
Lieutenant General (Retired) Erik GUSTAVSON, Secretary General of the Norwegian Reserve Officers’ Association
Major General Lena PERSSON HERLITZ, Head of Policy and Plans Department, Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters
Brigadier General Veiko-Vello PALM, Chief of the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces

Moderator: Sarah Alexandra GEORGE, Lieutenant, Army Reserve, United Kingdom

17:00-17:20 Closing Session
Concluding remarks by Sven SAKKOV, Director of the ICDS