There will also be the Rīga Conference Future Leaders Forum (RC FLF), a side event which will take place on October 14 and 15. Students wishing to participate still have time to apply until September 25, and if previous years are any indication, their discussions and ideas are often considerably more interesting and stimulating than those of the established politicos and policy wonks in the main event.
According to organizers: "The event will concentrate on the main defence and security issues within the framework of NATO and the EU such as the NATO 2030 agenda, European strategic autonomy, issues related to resilience in the face of new threats from the East and the South, as well as crisis decision-making. The young participants of RC FLF 2021 will primarily discuss and debate these topical issues.
"The panel discussions will bring together field professionals, politicians, and academics from Europe and North America with the young professionals of the forum. The aforementioned topics will be debated, and the young leaders will seek answers to the question: what can the present leadership do to make the world a safer, better, and more stable and prosperous place? Participants will also participate in a simulation game, group discussions and other interactions between themselves and with lecturers, discussants and trainers. Additionally, they have the opportunity to participate in The Rīga Conference itself by joining the sessions and discussions."
The event is organized jointly by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation (LATO), the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
This year's Rīga Conference will take place in hybrid format and only fully vaccinated individuals with a valid EU certificate of vaccination will be able to attend in-person.
