The Baltic Sea Region

The book examines security policy in the Baltic Sea Region and how the new political setting in Europe shapes the security politics, arms control and cooperation in the military field. The case studies of eleven countries and three institutional "key players" – NATO, the WEU, and the OSCE – provide a comprehensive picture of present and future security perceptions and needs.
The chapters attempt to clarify whether the Baltic Region and Northern Europe as a whole can establish an additional security link between NATO and the newly independent CEE states. All the countries in the Baltic Region are concentrating on extending their good-neighbourly relations on the political, economic, and cultural levels. Military cooperation is also evident, for example in NACC, the BALTOPS naval manoeuvres and, last but not least, the joint training and exercises within the PfP. At the present time there is no visible military threat in the Baltic Sea Region. However, future conflicts cannot be entirely ruled out. As old threat perceptions eventually fade, new questions arise concerning the future geostrategic importance of this region.