By College of International Security Studies
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (March 10, 2021) – The Marshall Center will hold a virtual one-week European Security Seminar from March 15 to 19.  Forty-four participants from EU and NATO member states and 21 partner countries across Europe, North America, and Central Asia will attend.  

This virtual 2021 iteration of ESS-East will focus on a series of tremors that have added to domestic and regional instability across Eurasia since Aug. 2020. These include the Aug. 9 fraudulent presidential election in Belarus, the Aug. 20 Novichok poisoning of the Russian opposition member Alexei Navalny, the Armenia and Azerbaijan armed conflict that reignited on Sept. 27, and the Oct. 4 disputed parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan. 

The ESS-E seminar will discuss how these developments have impacted Moscow's engagement within its self-identified “near abroad.” The course will also debate whether Russia’s own severe domestic socio-economic challenges aggravate the situation and make Moscow more careful concerning its international engagement in the region.  

This seminar will bring together mid- to senior-level security practitioners from Europe, Eurasia and the U.S. to build a common understanding of the challenges along Europe’s eastern flank. 

The virtual ESS-East event will create a network of professionals for continued interaction, dialogue, and cooperation to include subject matter experts from the Marshall Center along with guest lecturers.