Sixth Annual Conference on Russia "Russia on the World: Vision and Realities"

On 5th-6th March, the sixth Annual Conference on Russia took place in Tartu. This year's iteration“Russia in the World: vision and realities”, aimedto compare Russia’s self-perceptions with contemporary geostrategic realities. Better countering Russia’s offensive actions requires understanding how Russia is using available instruments of power to implement national strategy, what are its future ambitions, strengths and limitations. The conferencetried to assess Russia’s position within global geopolitical equilibria and attempt to drawa clearer pictures of Russia’s means of power.

The Annual Conference on Russia 2020 brought together 50 speakers and over 300 participantsof the countries of the wider Baltic region, Nordic countries, western and central Europe, the Middle East and Asia that are currently experiencing an increased Russian interest and involvement in political, economic and military terms. The conference offered incisive debates andcreated opportunities of enhanced networking ofhigh-level professionals, subject matter experts, academics, military leaders and students from across the globe.

The conference was opened by the Commandant of the BALTDEFCOL, Major General Andis Dilans followed byThe Keynote Address "Russia's Vision of the Global Order" by General (ret.) Riho Terras, former Chief of Defence and currently the member of the European Parliament (EST).Altogether, the participants had an opportunity to discuss current developments within 13panel sessions covering variety of topics delivered by notable speakers.

This year’s conference continued its role as a recognised academic gathering and platform for dialogue also enhancing multinational cooperation among the Allied nations and partners. BALTDEFCOL’s sincerest gratitude and highest appreciation goes to our speakers, participants and our partners - NATO Public Diplomacy Division;NATO Defense College;Embassy of Georgia in Estonia; CanadaEmbassy in Estonia; Konrad Adenauer Foundation; the University of Tartu; Estonian Military Academy;City of Tartu and Tartu Conference Bureau;and Dorpat Conference Centre and Hotel for their respective contributions to this event. We hope to see everyone again next year.