External engagement: The Baltic experience

Abstract

The analysis of the Baltic transition reveals the importance of external actors' participation in the process of state transformation. Based on the experiences of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, this article establishes six broad policy principles for effective external engagement. First, the nature, level, and scope of engagement directly correlates with the sustainability of transition. Second; equality in bilateral cooperation brings trust and openness among partners. Third, for a transitional state to succeed it needs sufficient external motivation to sustain it through political and economic fluctuations. Fourth, if foreign aid does not come hand in hand with adequate accountability standards, it brings corruption and stagnation. Fifth, building local (and not foreign) capacity is the primary duty of an external actor. Finally, the reputation of an external actor is as important as the work that this actor conducts. All these principles form the backbone of successful and sustainable actor-to-actor cooperation.

Latvian Foreign Policy after Enlargement

“…Latvian relations with the OSCE and the Council of Europe were dominated by the minority issue, as was the case in Estonia (see Dorodnova, 2002;Lasas, 2004;Galbreath, 2005: 242-63, 277-81). Shortly after independence, the Baltic States became members of the OSCE.…”

“…Furthermore, European integration was partly defined in terms of engaging with other regional and subregional organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe and the Council of Baltic Sea States. Latvian relations with the OSCE and the Council of Europe were dominated by the minority issue, as was the case in Estonia (see Dorodnova, 2002;Lasas, 2004;Galbreath, 2005: 242-63, 277-81). Shortly after independence, the Baltic States became members of the OSCE.…”

Nation-States into Nationalising States

“…On the one hand, the traumatic experiences of the past have been central to ensuring the Baltic states' concerted efforts to seek, build, and maintain alliances in international forums. With the help of international organisations, Baltic states as 'small states' could countenance 'revisionist ambitions' of the former 'patron power', the Russian Federation and states' vulnerabilities to the geopolitical interests of regional powers, building alliances with other countries and avoid the fate of the past (Lasas, 2004).…”

Sustainable Development and Creation of the Knowledge Economy: The New Theoretical Approach / Darni Plėtra Ir Žinių Ekonomikos Kūrimas: Naujas Teorinis Požiūris

“…Sustainable development in the context of various transformation and transition processes in general could be defined as an especially perspective area and as the main direction of the research on sustainable development (Zavadskas 2008;Dzemydiene 2008;Grundey 2008cGrundey , 2009McNally 1999;Melnikas 1990Melnikas , 2002Munasinghe et al 2001;Perraton 2001;Redding and Venables 2004). The problems and processes of the sustainable development in the transition countries in general , as well as in the Eastern and Central European countries could be defined as an important research area too (Brauers et al 2007;Cohendet and Stojak 2005;Dicken 1998;Goeransson and Soederberg 2005;Hayo and Seifert 2003;Krupka 2007;Lasas 2004;Llorca and Redzepagic 2008;Melnikas 1997Melnikas , 1999Melnikas , 2002Melnikas , 2008aMelnikas and Reichelt 2004;Mzavanadze 2009).…”