Following an open competition, the Board of the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) has selected Dr Kristi Raik to be the centre’s new director. She will assume her duties from 1 January 2025.
The Chairman of the ICDS Board, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Kaimo Kuusk, said that Dr Raik was undoubtedly a very strong choice. “As the current Deputy Director, Dr Raik is familiar with every detail of the tasks of the ICDS and can smoothly take over the management of the institution. Her analysis and public statements related to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine and her extensive experience from Estonia, Finland, Brussels, and elsewhere in Europe allow her to continue to represent the security and defence policy positions of both Estonia and the entire Baltic Sea region as an internationally recognised expert. Many thanks to the current Director, Indrek Kannik, who has kept the ICDS flag flying high. I wish him success as he joins the team of the European Union’s foreign policy chief.”
Dr Kristi Raik said that she greatly appreciates the work the ICDS has done so far. “The ICDS plays a very important role in helping to elaborate and discuss Estonia’s defence, security, and foreign policy activities. The world around us is not going to become simpler and more peaceful in the near future. It is all the more important that we understand where we are heading and that we can contribute to ensuring that Estonia’s positions and interests are represented in various international discussions that influence decisions in NATO, the EU, and important allied and partner countries.”
Dr Kristi Raik joined the ICDS in 2018, then as the Head of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute. Since 2023, Dr Raik has been the Deputy Director of the ICDS and the Head of the Foreign Policy Programme. She is also a member of the advisory boards of several international think tanks: the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), and the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). Dr Raik holds a PhD in political science from the University of Turku, where she is also an associate professor of international politics. She has published numerous scientific articles, reports, and analyses on topics related to European foreign and security policy. Dr Raik has previously worked, among other places, at the Finnish Foreign Policy Institute (FIIA) in Helsinki and the Secretariat of the Council of the European Union in Brussels.
The current Director of the ICDS, Indrek Kannik, joined the institution in the fall of 2020. From 1 January 2025, he will start work in the office of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, as an advisor for strategic policy and political analysis.
The International Centre for Defence and Security is a think tank in Estonia specialising in foreign policy, security, and national defence-related issues. It aims to be a regional knowledge centre for the security and defence communities of Estonia, its allies, and partners. In addition to its diverse research activities, the ICDS organises the Lennart Meri Conference, higher national defence courses, the Annual Baltic Conference on Defence, and the Tallinn Digital Summit and publishes the online magazine Diplomaatia.
The ICDS Board consists of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Kaimo Kuusk (chairman), the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jonatan Vseviov, the Chairman of the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications Ahti Kuningas, the Director of National Security and Defence Coordination at the Government Office Erkki Tori, the Director of the Finance Department of the Estonian Representation to the EU (Ministry of Finance) Andres Kuningas, and media expert Raul Rebane.