International Seminar

Neutral No More: Why are Finland and Sweden Joining NATO?

Description

The recent decision of Finland and Sweden to jointly apply for NATO membership will change the security architecture of Europe for the foreseeable future. It more than doubles the direct contact line between the alliance and Russia and transforms the Baltic Sea into a NATO lake. While some hail the decision as an important step toward increasing the security of the two states and the deterrence of Russian aggressions, others point to the escalatory effect this might have on the over-all security structure of the continent. Join us for a discussion with two scholars of Scandinavia’s international relations to analyze the situation.

Details

Date: Monday, June 20, 2022

Time:  20:00 – 22:00 Tokyo (JST)

          13:00 – 15:00 Stockholm/Helsinki (CEST)

          07:00 – 09:00 Washington DC (EDT)

Place: Online Zoom Webinar

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Register in advance for this meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsdOqsrzoiGdCIPxv9C-m4qWkYa99W9EBG

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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Use: Upload to YouTube channel of GRIPS and NeutralityStudies.com after recording

Language: English with Japanese simultaneous translation

Organizers: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies & NeutralitStudies.com

Speakers

Professor Dr. Thomas Jonter

Swedish Neutrality and NATO membership

Dr. Jonter is Professor of the International Relations Department at Stockholm University, member of the Swedish International Law and Disarmament Delegation, and member of the advisory board to the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs. His research focuses on nuclear non-proliferation and energy security. He published the seminal work The Key to Nuclear Restraint (Palgrave Macmillan).

Mr. Tapio Juntunen

Finnish Neutrality and NATO membership

Dr. Juntunen is University Instructor in Security Studies at Tampere University, Finland. He researches the effects of Cold War nuclear weapons politics on Finnish foreign policy and the history of Finnish foreign- and security policy. He recently published Best Practices in the whole-of-society approach in countering hybrid threats (EU Parliament Study).

Commentator

Dr. Pascal Lottaz

Dr. Lottaz is Adjunct Researcher for Neutrality Studies at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo and adjunct professor for European Politics at Temple University, Japan Campus. He researches the role of neutrality in international relations and recently edited the work Neutral Beyond the Cold (Lexington Books).

Moderator

Professor Dr. Yoko Iwama

Dr. Iwama is Professor and Director of the Strategic Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. She researches the origins and the evolution of nuclear-sharing and nuclear-consultation system in NATO, and its relationship with the NPT. She recently edited the work Joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty (Routledge).

＊This project is assisted by JSPS kakenhi 17H00972 and GRIPS Policy Research Center Research Project Grant G221RP205.