Potential global link between east and west

The history of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania has always been that of small countries sandwiched between superpowers. This has consistently worked against the nations as 800 years of war-torn times and foreign occupation have shown. Now, however, the Baltic people are hoping that their geographic location might for the first time work in their favor. The warming of political relations between the U.S. and Russia and the opening up of the Russian economy as well as the implications that the opening holds for future trading between Russia and Europe suddenly places the Baltic states in an advantageous global position.
What the Baltic people want above all is a future of long-term security and freedom. They are betting on their imminent accession to the European Union and NATO to secure this.

Their accessions also assure an improved economic scenario. If things continue moving in their current direction, the Baltic countries may soon find themselves in the middle of a 600 million people market–the EU, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Baltic Sea Region. What's more, the small domestic markets of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have obliged the countries to base their new economies on export, which has meant developing strong transit and logistics infrastructures. This may soon prove to be their ace in hand.

The Baltic people are well prepared to assume the role of global link between east and west. Most speak Russian and, more importantly, understand the Russian mentality. On the other hand, they feel they belong to Europe and in general, their own mentalities are much closer to those of Scandinavians for example. They are well educated, multilingual, progressive and have managed to convert their new republics into stable and prosperous nations in just over 10 years. Furthermore, the Baltic states do not believe that EU and NATO membership will compromise relations with Russia. Most feel that relations will improve in that Russia will be forced to acknowledge the Baltic states in their own right and that mutual respect will be the base of healthier political and economic relations.