The Riga Conference 2025 opened with a side event titled “Belarusian Society in the Shadow of Militarization.” The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, the representation of Belarusian democratic forces in Estonia and Latvia, the Kaściuška Security Studies Institute, and BELPOL.
The discussion focused on the deepening militarization of Belarus and its wide-ranging consequences— from education to the economy. The representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces presented the “Red Paper: EU–Belarus Security Framework 2025”, which emphasizes Belarus’ potential role as a future strategic security partner in Eastern Europe, rather than a satellite within Russia’s sphere of influence.
Participants included Uldis Mikuts, Director of the Bilateral Relations Department at the Latvian MFA; Dr. Vadzim Mažejka, Head of the Kaściuška Security Studies Institute; Dr. Dr. Victoria Leukavets, Researcher at the Center for Baltic and East European Studies at the Södertörn University; and Matvei Kupreichyk, Representative of the BELPOL.
The Riga Conference is an annual gathering of regional and international experts in foreign policy and defense, scholars, journalists, and business representatives. Since 2006 it provides a platform for discussing and assessing issues that shape the transatlantic community.
