This event presents findings of the project titled “Nordic-Baltic Security in Times of Uncertainty: The Defence-Energy Nexus". The project has examined how energy policy in the region is affected by changing threat perceptions and responses to security challenges posed by Russia’s policy towards its close neighbors and NATO. It pays special attention to the the role of energy infrastructure in a possible military crisis involving Russia and the Alliance. Recommendations from the project focus on areas in which Polish-Norwegian cooperation can greatly contribute to reinforcing security in the region by addressing questions related to the defence-energy nexus.

A panel of experts will discuss a range of important questions:

  • Can Poland and Norway play a decisive role in improving security in the Nordic-Baltic region?
  • How much does the Polish and Norwegian perception of the evolution of threats to the region since the 2014 Russian aggression against Ukraine overlap?
  • Have both countries been successful in their search for effective reinforcement of their security by NATO?
  • What role can energy issues play in security and defence thinking of Poland and Norway? Can cooperation between Warsaw and Oslo help break energy-dependency patterns that undermine the credibility of NATO defence and deterrence policy in the region?

The project received a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants and was conducted jointly by the Polish Institute of International Affairs PISM and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs NUPI. The aim of the project was to produce new knowledge and provide recommendations for closer cooperation between Poland and Norway in security policy, specifically within energy and defence. The project provided also a platform for Polish and Norwegian government officials, scholars, and experts to exchange knowledge, experience and ideas.