On 15 February 2022, the ICDS was pleased to welcome a high-ranking delegation from Taiwan, led by Admiral Liu, the President of Taiwan National Defence University (NDU).
Director Indrek Kannik briefed the guests on the ICDS’ accomplishments. He specifically highlighted holding the National Defence Course, hosting annual international conferences — the ABCD and the Lennart Meri Conference, — and publishing the Diplomaatia magazine.
The representatives from Taiwan proposed ideas with the goal of establishing working relations, facilitating professional exchanges, and expanding research cooperation in matters of joint interest that include information security, as well as military conscription and reserve service in small nations with increasingly assertive neighbors.
Kalev Stoicescu, a research fellow at the ICDS, followed with his presentation on the Estonian perspective on regional and international security developments and NATO-Russia dynamics. In particular, he elaborated on the Kremlin’s line of thinking and key assumptions – those faulty in their core and those still holding true – that finally led Russia to invade Ukraine. Although no one desires a long war, it may be inevitable, Kalev Stoicescu said. He continued by saying that we are past the point of no return — and already living through the Cold War 2.0. To guarantee freedom for both of our nations, he opined, it is high time the world took Russia and China for what they are and not what we want them to be.
Building on the subject of Ukraine, chief executive Dmitri Teperik took the floor to give an overview of his recent research on resilience and how the war might have already impacted security perceptions in societies: from the Baltic states to Ukraine and all the way down south to Israel. Having already compared notes, it would be intellectually beneficial for Estonian and Taiwanese experts to build on this momentum and join research forces, to share and study each other’s know-how on building resilience.
The roundtable was an excellent opportunity to hear the Taiwanese perspective on both similarities and differences between the security environment in which the two countries operate today, the challenges it poses, and innovative solutions to tackle them.
