Strategic Communication Factfinding Trip to Helsinki and Riga, April 2026

The objective was to gain a clearer understanding of how both Finland and Latvia address current challenges, particularly in the field of countering foreign influence through Strategic Communication (StratCom). A key issue highlighted thoughout was the ongoing Russian influence in the information space and its impact on society. Furthermore, the participants gathered a deeper understanding of how each of the two countries organizes and coordinates its institutional StratCom approach.

The Factfinding Trip on StratCom brought together eleven participants from Southeast Europe – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Moldova, Montenegro, Kosovo, Romania, Serbia, and also Germany. Each one of them brought diverse yet relevant perspectives on StratCom from their experiences and home countries as some of them represented state institutions, while others came from non-governmental organizations, ensuring a well-rounded exchange of experience and expertise.

The agenda included meetings with security experts, government representatives and NATO specialists. In Helsinki, discussions were held with the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, the Secretariat of the Security Committee of Finland, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and the Prime Minister’s Office. In Riga, the group met with the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, the State Chancellery, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

One of the most important points during the trip was that we can’t fight hybrid threats by only talking about them. Strategic Communication is about defending a state’s interests within the information space. At the same time it should function as an operational mechanism oriented toward the future, thus, ensuring preparedness and readiness to anticipate and prevent potential crises that could have adverse effects on society.