ABSTRACT
The Baltic States’ accession to NATO and the European Union involved a long process that started soon after independence. The Baltic States have had to reassess many of their policy assumptions, integration achievements, capability preferences, and cooperative engagements. After the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Central and Eastern European states understood that they could only ensure their future security and wellbeing by fully integrating with Western institutions. Multinational cooperation – regional, European and transatlantic – has been pivotal for the Baltic States. Cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic states goes back to 1992 when a regional Nordic–Baltic cooperation format was created with the aim of establishing informal high-level political dialogue on regional and international topics. The Baltic interest in stronger European defence cooperation focuses on cutting-edge solutions to critical military capability shortfalls.
