Director of the NATO ENSEC COE visit to the Ukraine

On 9 February, the Director of the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence (NATO ENSEC COE) Colonel Gintaras Bagdonas and acting Head of Education, Training and Exercise Division Major Rimantas Šikas have participated in an international round-table discussion, orgnized by Konrad Adenauer fund.  The main topic of the discussion – „Ukraine – NATO: Non-military cooperation AS RESPONSE TO COMMON hybrid THREATS“.

The purpose of the round-table discussion was to identify and suggest the most effective non-military cooperation forms for the governmental institutions of Ukraine.  The Director of the NATO ENSEC COE Col G. Bagdonas gave a presentation on the second panel of the meeting. During this panel non-military cooperation of Ukraine and NATO, in order to repulse hybrid threats, was discussed.

„I would like to wish to achieve the cooperation that brings concrete results for both players – Ukraine and NATO. We extremely value cooperation with institutions of Ukraine because we feel the need to gain their experience, gathered in past sevelar years while repulsing those hybrid threats“, - said Col G. Bagdonas.

On the same day the Director of the NATO ENSEC COE participated in the 5^th Youth Kyiv Security Forum, where he was asked to be a mentor for students, while discussing and looking for decisions to improve governmental work and strengthening civil society. Col G. Bagdonas shared the Lithuanian example of creating a civil society and the role of youth in it.

During the Forum, the Director gave a presentation on  “Energy Security and its role in an overall Security Environment“. Students from Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Armenia and other countries have participated the forum. Director was extremely pleased and surprised by how active and willing the students were in order to reform the government‘s work and creating the civil society. The Polish ambassador for Ukraine, representatives of EU delegation and other diplomats were also participating in the Forum.