On 19 September 2020, Ambassador Robert KUPIECKI gave a special lecture at the College of Europe in Natolin entitled:
"A Quick Strategic Look at the EU/NATO North-Eastern Border"
The accession of Poland and Lithuania to NATO and the EU has turned the borders with their neighbours into an external border of the EU. The 65-kilometer wide Suwałki corridor, squeezed between Russia and Belarus, is the only land connection linking the Baltic states with the rest of their NATO allies, which makes this borderland strategically important from a security perspective. Ambassador Robert KUPIECKI provided an overview and introduction into the geopolitical implications.
The lecture was part of a preparatory lecture series for the students of the Mário Soares Promotion participating in the first semester study trip to Suwalszczyzna and Podlasie, taking place from 20 to 26 September 2020.
About the speaker:
Ambassador Robert KUPIECKI is a professional diplomat who has served in the foreign service of the Republic of Poland since 1993. His posts to date include Deputy Ambassador to NATO (1999-2004), Director of the Department of Security Policy (2004-2008), Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Washington (2004-2008), and Deputy Minister of National Defense (2008-2015). He also holds the rank of professor and is currently Research and Teaching Associate at the Faculty of Political Sciences and International Studies, University of Warsaw.