CEEC Teams with JBANC for Busy Week on Capitol Hill

On July 14-15, the Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) joined the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) to meet with over a dozen congressional offices, committees, and Members of Congress to seek continued support for legislative priorities. In addition, JBANC organized a July 14 briefing in the U.S. Capitol with the three Baltic embassies to highlight these countries’ NATO Centers of Excellence.

The briefing was entitled “Enhanced Resilience: A View from the NATO Centers of Excellence in the Baltic Countries” and was sponsored by House Baltic Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) and Salud Carbajal (D-California). It was attended by 50 guests, primarily congressional staffers, government relations professionals, and defense advocates. The speakers were Lithuanian Ambassador Gediminas Varvuolis, Latvian Ambassador Elita Kuzma, and Deputy Defense Counselor Mikk Raud from the Embassy of Estonia. Each highlighted the unique capabilities and expertise that the respective Centers bring to the Alliance, as well as the priorities of each country in hosting its specific Center, to support NATO’s resilience, collective defense, and deterrence. Centers of Excellence (COEs) are international military organizations that train and educate leaders and specialists from NATO member and partner countries.

Estonia hosts the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence (NATO küberkaitsekoostöö keskus), Latvia the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, and Lithuania the Energy Security Centre of Excellence. Estonia’s COE was established on May 14, 2008, just a year after the April 2007 cyberattacks.