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NATO Centre of Excellence in Riga organizes conference on strategic communications

Xinhua, August 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

NATO Center of Excellence on Strategic Communications (COE Stratcom) in the Latvian capital Riga is organizing a high-level conference "The Riga Stratcom Dialogue: Perception Matters" on Thursday and Friday.

The agenda of the conference includes topics such as the lessons learned from International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations in Afghanistan, how NATO can improve its defense by using strategic communications, what is the role of social media in modern conflicts, and what communication methods the Jihadist extremist organization Islamic State is using to recruit new supporters and disseminate their propaganda.

The conference has brought together more than 200 participants, including high-ranking state officials, NATO representatives, as well as academics, journalists, defense and communications experts from NATO and partner nations.

The participants include Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis and Prime Minister of Latvia Laimdota Straujuma, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Poland Tomasz Semoniak, Estonian Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas, Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Bergmanis and State Minister of Georgia for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration David Bakradze.

Latvian Prime Minister Straujuma said at the conference that NATO is the strongest and most successful defense alliance globally and"we want it to remain like that".

"Currently, our values and societies are challenged by new propaganda techniques. They are aimed at influencing hearts and minds of people. Together, we have to find the right answers and solutions to these challenges. Solutions that ensure, that democracy stays even stronger and becomes more resilient," she said.

"We need to be truly effective. We must retain the leadership. We must strengthen the role of NATO. NATO is the strongest and most successful defense alliance globally. We want it to remain like that," the Latvian Prime Minister underlined.

"Latvia is committed to strengthening the Alliance. Our goal is to increase defense budget to 2 percent of GDP by 2018. And Stratcom Centre of Excellence is part of our contribution," she said.

On Thursday, the first day of the conference, the new offices of the NATO Centre of Excellence for Strategic Communications were opened in Riga by Latvian president Vejonis. Endit