On 21 March 2018, the Center for Maritime Strategy & Security (CMSS) at ISPK hosted a roundtable discussion at Hotel Maritim Bellevue on maritime issues pertaining to the Baltic Sea. Dr. Henrik Breitenbauch, Director of the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and Lt CDR (Swedish Navy) Dr. Stefan Lundqvist from the Swedish Defense University Stockholm provided thought-provoking perspectives on the Mare Balticum. Discussants included a German Navy submariner, a senior Law of the Sea specialist, ISPK academics, a number of retired military officers, and a defense industry representative from Northern Germany. The width of the issues for debate ranged from tactical to operational and strategic levels of analysis, from military to political issues, and from using established fora of multinational cooperation to exploring innovative ways to collaborate in the Baltic Sea area.

Over the coffee & cake that followed the Q&A, the participants agreed on the need to consolidate existing knowledge and policy options further. The Baltic Sea Strategy Forum could be a suitable format. For proceedings of the 2015 Kiel Conference - Focus Baltic Sea, please see here.