About the authors

Reinis Āboltiņš is an energy market Expert at the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Previously, he was an energy market expert at “Lattelecom” and a consultant to the Saeima’s European Affairs Committee, specializing in energy, the environment, and climate issues. Before joining the Saeima, he was an Energy Policy Researcher at the Public Policy Center Providus, a member of the President’s Energy Security Commission, a member of the Energy Committee of the Ministry of Economics, and an expert in the Energy and Transport Working Groups of the Foreign Investors’ Council. Āboltiņš is a lecturer for the “Energy Policy and International Relations” study course at the University of Latvia and a guest lecturer for the “European Energy and Environmental Law” course at the Riga Graduate School of Law. Āboltiņš is a doctoral student and lecturer for the “Energy and Environmental Science” study program at Riga Technical University.

Dr. Kristīne Beķere is researcher at the Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia. Author of a monography and several scholarly articles published in Latvia and abroad. Scientific interests: history of the Latvian diaspora in the 20th century; diaspora’s connections with the Republic of Latvia; political activities of Latvian exiles during the Cold War.

Dr. Kārlis Bukovskis is the Director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs and an Assistant Professor at Riga Stradins University. He is the author of numerous articles and the scientific editor of several books. Bukovskis was a visiting Fulbright Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University SAIS in 2021 and an Associate Researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations from 2017—2021. He has studied at the University of Trier, and he acquired master’s degrees from the University of Latvia and the University of Helsinki, as well as a doctoral degree (Dr. sc. pol.) in International Politics from Riga Stradins University. Bukovskis has dealt with future of the EU and

issues regarding the EMU at the Latvian ministries of foreign affairs and finance, and he developed the six-month work program of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Bukovskis also produces and co-hosts a program on Latvian Radio 1 in which he analyses the political economy of various world countries. Main research interests of Bukovskis are European Union issues and International Political Economy.

Ambassador John L. Carwile, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, is the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, Mr. Carwile served as the Department of State’s Deputy Director of Career Development and Assignments, where he helped manage the Foreign Service assignments process and oversaw a 120-person staff.

Ambassador Daniel Fried, in the course of his forty-year Foreign Service career, played a key role in designing and implementing American policy in Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union. As Special Assistant and NSC Senior Director for Presidents Clinton and Bush, Ambassador to Poland, and Assistant Secretary of State for Europe (2005—09), Ambassador Fried helped craft the policy of NATO enlargement to Central European nations and, in parallel, NATORussia relations, thus advancing the goal of Europe whole, free, and at peace. While a student, he lived in Moscow, majored in Soviet Studies and History at Cornell University (BA magna cum laude 1975) and received an MA from Columbia’s Russian Institute and School of International Affairs in 1977. He joined the U.S. Foreign Service later that year, serving overseas in Leningrad (Human Rights, Baltic affairs, and Consular Officer), and Belgrade (Political Officer); and in the Office of Soviet Affairs in the State Department. As Polish Desk Officer in the late 1980s, Fried was one of the first in Washington to recognize the impending collapse of Communism in Poland, and helped develop the immediate response of the George H.W. Bush Administration to these developments. As Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw (1990—93), Fried witnessed Poland’s difficult but ultimately successful free market, democratic transformation, working with successive Polish governments. Ambassador Fried also served as the State Department’s first Special Envoy for the Closure of the Guantanamo (GTMO) Detainee

Facility. He established procedures for the transfer of individual detainees and negotiated the transfers of 70 detainees to 20 countries, with improved security outcomes. Ambassador Fried is currently a Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He is also on the Board of Directors of the National Endowment for Democracy and a Visiting Professor at Warsaw University.

Dr. Ēriks Jēkabsons is a professor at the University of Latvia, lead researcher at the Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia. Visiting Professor at several universities in Poland, Ukraine and other countries. Author of several books and many scholarly articles published in Latvia and abroad. Scientific interests: military and political history of Latvia in the first half of the 20th century; relations of Latvia with Poland, Lithuania and other states in the region, and with the USA.

Anthony B. Kim is a research fellow in Economic Freedom, editor of the Index of Economic Freedom, and manager of Global Engagement for the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom. Previously, Kim had served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Dr. Edwin J. Feulner, founder of the Heritage Foundation. Focusing on policies related to economic freedom, entrepreneurship, and investment in various countries around the world, Kim researches international economic issues.

Alise Krapāne is an associate researcher at LIIA with main research interests in Latvia—US relations and transatlantic cooperation. Alise holds a Master’s degree in government and international relations from Regent University, USA. She has worked in Washington, DC for the Joint Baltic-American National Committee (JBANC) that coordinates the activities of Baltic-American organizations, informing the US government and the public about Baltic-related issues.

Egils Levits is the President of Latvia. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Hamburg in 1982. In 1986, he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and Public Science at the University of Hamburg. He actively participated in the reconstruction of the Latvian state in 1989—1991 and in the restoration of Latvia in 1989—1991. He was a Member of the Council of the Latvian People’s Front and the Congress of Citizens. He was an author of the concept of the Declaration on the

Restoration of Independence of Latvia of 4 May 1990. He was the first Minister of Justice after the full restoration of the Constitution, the first Ambassador of Latvia to Germany after the restoration of the country, the first Latvian judge at the European Court of Human Rights (1995— 2004), and the first Latvian judge at the European Court of Justice. He has been a co-author of many significant draft laws (including the Law on the Constitutional Court of Latvia, the Administrative Procedure Law, the Law on the Structure of the Cabinet of Ministers, etc.). Levits is also the author of the Preamble (or Introduction) to the Constitution, adopted in 2014. He is the author of many scientific publications on the issues regarding state law, administrative law, human rights, and democracy. Levits has provided many opinions on various legal and political issues to the Latvian Parliament (Saeima), the Cabinet of Ministers, various ministries, the Constitutional Court, other courts, public authorities, institutions of the European Union, and international institutions. He publishes regularly on development challenges in Latvia. Levits has been the Ambassador of Latvia to Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland, as well as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and a member of Saeima. He chaired the Commission of the Constitutional Law of the President of Latvia from 2007—2013. From 2004—2019 he was a judge at the European Court of Justice.

Jason C. Moyer is a foreign policy professional with over 8 years of experience specializing in transatlantic relations, the European Union, NATO, Sweden and Finland’s NATO accession, the Baltic countries, France, and Italy. He currently serves as a Program Associate for the Global Europe Program at The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Previously, he was the Program Manager for the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS (the Dean’s research institute), and he was the Program Coordinator for the Center for Transatlantic Relations, a transatlantic think tank. He is also a Fellow for the Transatlantic Leadership Network. He has been published in multiple major media outlets, including The Washington Post, The Hill, and The National Interest. He graduated from Georgetown University with a Master of Arts in German and European Studies from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and with a certificate in Diplomatic Studies. During his time at Georgetown, he was a teaching assistant to former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.

Before pursuing his Masters, Jason taught English in South Korea for two years through the Korean Ministry of Education. Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from The George Washington University, concentrating on European Politics, with minors in French and History.

Dr. Romāns Putāns, is currently (since 2017) with the Department of International Business and Economics at Riga Stradins University, Latvia, currently being the Head of the Department. Mr. Putans holds Doctoral Degree in Management Science, subfield of Public Administration since 2016 from the University of Latvia. During his academic research Mr. Putans has been publishing internationally on the topics related to the strategic development and customer orientation in European public governance and administration. From 2009-2016 Mr. Putans was working as a researcher in the Centre for European and Transition Studies at the University of Latvia, contributing also to the creation of the EU Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, having been involved in the implementation of and research within various EU regional, social, and economic development projects related to labor market issues, labor mobility, integration aspects, and social participation in public governance. In 2002—2010 Mr. Putans worked at the State Revenue Service (SRS) of the Republic of Latvia being part of the World Bank`s funded SRS Modernization Project Unit, and later in the fields of SRS projects management, organizational development and its strategic and personnel development. SRS and its functional peculiarity on the state and market relationships, initiated Mr. Putans` scientific love for the topics of strategic development, client-orientation, efficiency, competitiveness particularly in the balance between the public and private sectors, that has led to his current scientific interest in societal governance of state, market and society and the latter`s ability of socioeconomic self-organization.

Dr. Aldis Purs is a “rootless cosmopolitan” having lived in Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Ontario, Latvia, Washington D.C., California, and Washington with shorter stints all over the world. He received his B.A. from the University of Florida and his MA and PhD from the University of Toronto. He wrote his dissertation on local government in Latvia from 1918 to 1940. His primary interests by geographical location are

the Baltic states, the Soviet Union, nineteenth and twentieth century Europe, modern sub-Saharan Africa, and the collapse of Empires, Europe from 1900 to 1949. He specializes in applying some of the tools of a social historian to tourism, museums, orphans, and popular culture. Purs has published three books and more than a dozen articles on modern Baltic history. He has taught at seven universities in three countries and was a Research Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, D.C. His interest in coups began with research for his PhD dissertation and has continued intermittently throughout his career. At Seattle U, he was finally able to teach a course in the comparative history of coups that he had long toyed with; he hardly expected the course to run during the events of January 6 in Washington DC, and the ongoing Myanmar coup. He is also Prof. DJ Grumpy and has a weekly, one hour radio show, History as Music/Music as History, on the very small, community radio station, Space 101.1FM.

Dr. Toms Rostoks is a Director at the Center for Security and Strategic Research at the National Defense Academy of Latvia. He also holds the position of Associate Professor in International Relations at the Department of Political Science at the University of Latvia. Toms Rostoks has written a number of articles and book chapters. He has been an editor for several scientific writings on deterrence, state intentions, Latvia’s foreign and security policy, Latvian-Russian relations, and human security and small states. His current research interests are related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the defense policy and armed forces of the Baltic Sea region, Latvia’s foreign and security policy, NATO’s military deterrence measures in the Baltic region, and the choice between compulsory and a professional military service.

Ambassador Māris Selga is ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the United States of America and Mexico. Ambassador Māris Selga began his current posting to the United States in 2019. Previously, he served as Latvia’s Ambassador to China, Mongolia and Vietnam (non-resident) and was Latvia’s first residing Ambassador to Egypt and non-resident Ambassador to the Kingdom of Jordan, as well as the United Arab Emirates. He was also an Observer in the League of Arab States and the African Union. He joined the Foreign Service in 1994 and went on to

hold posts at Latvia’s embassies in Denmark and the United States. In 2021, he was awarded the Latvian State Award “Cross of Recognition” for outstanding merits in service to Latvia. Ambassador Selga holds a degree in History from University of Latvia. He is married and has two sons.

Karlis Streips is an American Latvian journalist who grew up in the United States, but has lived in Latvia since 1989. He has worked extensively in both radio and television, and for 25 years, he taught journalism at the University of Latvia. Mr. Streips earns a substantial portion of his income from translations to and from English and Latvian.

Dr. Jeffrey Sommers is a professor of political economy and public policy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has held visiting professorships at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and at Babes-Bolyai University in Romanis. He has held several US State Department Fulbright Awards in Europe. Additionally, he has served as an invited specialist for a State Department new Ambassador training in Washington, DC. Furthermore, his counsel has been sought by investors, along with ministerial and government leaders through to the prime minister level. In addition to his academic work, he has been published in outlets such as the Financial Times, The New York Times, Project Syndicate, The Guardian, The Nation, Social Europe and many others.

Mārtiņš Vargulis is the Deputy Director and researcher at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs and lecturer at the Riga Stradins University. He holds an MA in International Relations and currently continues his PhD studies at the Riga Stradins University. In his academic career, he has focused on issues concerning Russia (particularly security, economy and soft power), NATO and EU security related issues, as well as the European Neighbourhood. He is the author of numerous articles and the scientific editor of several books. In his long-standing professional career as a representative at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, he has been Head of Defence Policy and Strategy Section as well as Diplomat at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Latvia to NATO and EU.

Valdis Zatlers was elected as a President of Latvia in 2007 for one term until 2011. During late 80s and early 90s he was an active member of the Popular Front of Latvia — a political organization that led to regaining the independence of Latvia. He also served as a member of its council. Mr. Zatlers also took part in the meeting of the three national movements of the Baltic states that later gathered people for the history changing act — The Baltic Way. His educational background includes graduating Riga Institute of Medicine in 1979 as well as professional orthopedic training at Yale and Syracuse Universities in 1991. After completing his medical studies, Mr. Zatlers became traumatologist-orthopedist (1979—1985). Mr. Zatlers was also employed as a doctor in Chernobyl following the failure of the nuclear power plant in 1986. Later the career in medicine led to him to a wider opportunities and leadership roles, including serving as Head of the Traumatology Department (1985—94) at 2nd Hospital of Riga, Director and Chairman of the Board of the State Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopedics (1994—2007), and President of the Association of Traumatologists and Orthopedists in Latvia (2003—2008), that was followed by taking a position as President of Latvia in 2007. After the presidency Mr. Zatlers formed a political party and ministered as deputy in Saeima (Parliament of Latvia) where he served on and chaired National Security Committee. His active years ended in 2014.