An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.
Immediate Release

Readout: Under Secretary of Defense for Policy John Rood Hosts Nordic-Baltic-U.S. Forum

Under Secretary Rood hosted representatives from the Nordic and Baltic countries for the Nordic-Baltic-U.S. Forum, held in Washington, D.C., and at U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, VA. Mr. Rood was joined by ADM Christopher Grady, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) and VADM Andrew Lewis, Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet and NATO-Joint Forces Command Norfolk.

A group of service members and civilians stand for a photo in a building.
Forum Photo Op
Navy Adm. Christopher W. Grady, left, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, far right, commander of U.S. 2nd Fleet, pose with participants of the Nordic-Baltic-U.S. Forum Deputy Minister of Defense Conference at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Va., Sept. 10, 2019.
Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Stacy M. Atkins Ricks
VIRIN: 190910-D-ZZ999-101

The group discussed opportunities to strengthen the Nordic-Baltic-U.S. defense relationship by improving regional maritime domain awareness and maritime capabilities in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic. They also addressed regional security challenges, including capability gaps and interoperability challenges through the lens of the National Defense Strategy with a focus on great power competition. Mr. Rood praised the group for continuing to meet on an annual basis to make progress on regional security issues and improve trans-Atlantic ties. Mr. Rood encouraged the participants to continue to increase defense spending, make prudent defense investments, improve interoperability with the United States and NATO, and to close capability gaps. Finally, Mr. Rood noted that the United States looks forward to continuing its participation in this valuable forum.

Heads of Delegation:

John Rood, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, USA

Thomas Ahrenkiel, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Denmark

Kristjan Prikk, Permanent Secretary for Defense Policy, Estonia

Jukka Juusti, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Finland

Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, Ambassador-Designate to the United States of America, Iceland

Jānis Garisons, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Latvia

Vytautas Umbrasas, Vice-Minister of National Defence, Lithuania

Tone Skogen, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Norway

Jan-Olaf Lind, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Sweden