Diplomatic initiatives. An overview of the Northern Europe Initiative

The Northern Europe Initiative (NEI) is a US government effort to bring together private, government, and non-governmental sector interest in the countries bordering on the Baltic Sea, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden; and German, Polish and Russian areas that border the Baltic Sea or Baltic republics. US-inspired cross-border initiatives are already underway in the following fields: trade and investment, institution building, energy management, infrastructure enhancement, nuclear waste control, law enforcement, civil society development, and women's issues. The dialogue they have already sparked is crucial to improving regional security and stability. The American contribution to the NEI brings unique 'value added' to regional organizations and efforts.