LATVIJAS ARPOLITIKAS INSTITUTS

Their core work

The Latvian Institute of International Affairs is a Riga-based foreign policy think tank that produces independent research and policy advice on EU external relations, European integration, and international governance. In H2020, they contributed as a regional expert body on EU-Central Asia diplomatic and political relations, covering Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. They also engaged with intra-EU diversity and multilevel governance questions, bridging the gap between political science, law, and practical EU policy. Their core value to consortia is Baltic and Eastern European expert perspective combined with established academic and policy networks across both EU institutions and non-EU partner countries.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their first H2020 project (2018–2019) was entirely outward-facing — EU relations with Central Asia, covering all five post-Soviet republics and emphasizing networking and diplomatic advice. By 2019–2021 the focus rotated inward to EU integration processes, policy-making mechanisms, and modes of multilevel governance, drawing on political science and law. With only two projects this is a thin signal, but the trajectory suggests a broadening from regional external-relations specialist toward a general EU governance and policy analyst role.

The institute appears to be expanding its remit from Central Asia foreign-policy specialist toward broader EU governance and integration research, making it a candidate partner for any project needing Eastern European policy expertise on internal EU reform questions.

How they like to work

They have never led an H2020 project — both participations were as partner or third party, which is typical for a small national think tank operating as a regional expert contributor rather than a project manager. Despite a very small footprint, their two projects exposed them to 35 distinct consortium partners across 25 countries, suggesting they were embedded in large, multi-partner research consortia. This means they bring network breadth but should not be expected to carry administrative or coordination load.

Despite participating in only two projects, the institute built connections with 35 unique partners across 25 countries — an unusually wide geographic spread that reflects large international consortia. Their network spans both EU member states and Central Asian countries, giving them rare access in that corridor.

What sets them apart

As a Baltic think tank, the institute occupies a geopolitically distinct position: Latvia's history as a former Soviet republic and current EU/NATO member gives it credibility in both Western policy circles and post-Soviet contexts that Western European institutes typically lack. They are one of the few small national institutes with documented H2020 involvement in both Central Asian external relations and EU internal integration debates. For consortia requiring an Eastern EU perspective or a bridge to Central Asian policy networks, this is a specific and hard-to-replace asset.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SEnECA
  The institute's only funded H2020 participation (EUR 102,395), covering all five Central Asian republics in a policy network project — their most concrete evidence of regional foreign-policy expertise.
• InDivEU
  Participation as a third party in an EU integration and diversity project demonstrates versatility beyond Central Asia and engagement with mainstream EU governance research.