The event celebrating Nations which are a part of the Centre of Excellence, took place on September 3, 2018. Flags of Latvia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom were raised.
„Since establishment of the NATO StratCom COE in Riga in 2014 we have become a hub of knowledge in ever-changing world area of strategic communication. It plays a key role in the information age - we need to talk to hearts and minds and to communicate our values, but we also have to understand how to protect our countries from those who challenge us. To build resilience we need to come together, that is why we are glad to raise flags in honour of Centre’s participating countries,” said Jānis Sārts, director of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence.
The NATO StratCom COE was initially founded by Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Canada joined at a later stage. Additionally, France and Slovakia are finalising their joining procedures.
The NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence (NATO StratCom COE) is a multinational and NATO-accredited international Organization. Centre’s mission is to contribute to the Alliance’s communication processes by providing comprehensive analysis, timely advice, and practical support. Besides research studies and training for governments on strategic communication, the NATO StratCom COE has been developing significant expertise on countering hostile information activities by state and non-state actors.
Photos from the ceremony are available here.