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"We have to meet each other before we need each other"

Last week we participated in the NATO civil–military exercise Common Effort and spent an intense week in Riga, where the PROTECT Center trained and exchanged with partners from across Europe.

Bilde av deltakerkort med navn og Common Effort-merch.

PROTECT is taking part where things are happening – last week, that was at the Common Effort exercise in Riga. Photo: Ørjan Lande Hansen / INN

Published Dec. 2, 2025 12:08 PM - Last modified Dec. 2, 2025 12:08 PM

We have to meet each other before we need each other. Trust, roles and shared understanding must be in place before the alarms go off.

Another reminder stayed with us: history does not repeat itself, but it tends to rhyme. In times like these, those rhymes feel louder than ever.

"My Latvia, my responsibility.” A motto trademarked by the Latvian National Guard. Not only as a slogan, but as a civic mindset. Preparedness starts with each and every individual in a society knowing what to do, staying informed, looking out for others and supporting local structures. That everyday responsibility is what makes national and allied resilience possible.

We leave Riga with clearer lessons, stronger connections and renewed energy to strengthen collective readiness in our part of Europe.

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Contact information

Picture of Ørjan Lande Hansen
Ørjan Lande Hansen
Senior Adviser
Email
orjan.lande@inn.no
Phone
+47 41 61 96 36