Bucharest Forum 2015 takes place between 15-16 October at critical times for the region and Europe. As the global order is changing, new economic and strategic alignments shape the context for political cooperation, economic and trade relations as well as investment. This is particularly evident in the East-West political and economic dynamic along the New Silk Road.

Political crisis in Europe is evident in the difficulty of managing the Greek debt issue, the UK referendum and the Mediterranean refugee crisis. This European malaise is heightened by domestic populists’ rifts and the challenge of the deep low in relations with Russia over the Ukraine crisis. Combined with a deep partisan rift in Washington and approaching presidential elections in the US this has implications for the West and presents complex challenges for the Trans-Atlantic community.

Regional Implications of Global & Strategic Shifts; European Structural Challenges and the East-West Corridor.

Facing a Perfect Storm: Perspectives for Europe’s Neighbourhood Vision

October 15-16, 2015

Grand Hall, Ministry of Culture

Day 1, Thursday, October 15th, 2015

08:30 – 09:00    Registration of Participants and Welcome Coffee

09:00 – 09:30    Opening Remarks (Grand Hall)

Mircea Geoană, President, Aspen Institute Romania

Alina Inayeh, Director, GMF US, Bucharest office

Ionuț Vulpescu, Minister of Culture of Romania (TBC)

09:30 – 10:15    Keynote address (Grand Hall​)

Bogdan Aurescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania

Sorin Ducaru, Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, NATO

Ivan Vejvoda, Senior Vice President, Programs, GMF US

10:15 – 10:45    A Conversation on: Diverging Normative and Strategic Views in Eurasia (Grand Hall)

Lilia Shevtsova, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings Institution

Moderator: Tim Judah, Balkans Correspondent, The Economist

10:45 – 11:45   Geoeconomic and Geopolitical Shifts on the Eurasian Corridor: a Nexus on the Black Sea Shores (Grand Hall – on the record, open to press)

Tedo Japaridze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia

Ivan Vejvoda, Senior Vice President, Programs, The German Marshall Fund of the US

Sinan Ülgen, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Europe

H.E. Charles Ries, Vice President, International, Rand Corporation

Cristian Diaconescu, Fmr. Minister of Foreign Affairs

Henrik Hallgren, Chairman, Eurasia Forum

Moderator:       Alina Inayeh, Director, German Marshall Fund of the United States, Bucharest Office

11:45 – 12:00    Coffee Break

12:00 – 12:45   Introductory remarks: Vasile Iuga, Cluster Leader, PwC South East Europe

Keynote address:

Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President for the Energy Union, European Commission

Andrei Gerea, Romanian Minister of Energy

12:45 – 13:45   Energy Union, Competing Regional Energy Priorities Converging Needs: What Future for the European Energy Security Strategy? (Grand Hall – on the record, open to press)

Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President for the Energy Union, European Commission

Mihnea Constantinescu, Ambassador at Large for Energy Security, Romanian Government

Yiorgos Tsipras, Secretary General for International Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic

Edward Chow, Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS

Mehmet Öğütçü, Chairman, Global Resources Partnership, Special Envoy for the Energy Charter, The Bosphorus Energy Club

Danila Bochkarev, Senior Fellow, Regional Security Initiative, EastWest Institute

Moderator:        Alexandra Gătej, CEO, Maldon & Wat

13:45 – 14:30    Lunch

14:30 – 15:45  A Eurasian Security Conundrum: What Next, if De-escalation does not Succeed in Ukraine? (Grand Hall – on the record, open to press)

H.E. Pirkka Tapiola, Head of the European Union Delegation to Moldova

Michał Baranowski, Director, German Marshall Fund of the United States, Warsaw office

Iulian Fota, Associate Professor, National Intelligence Academy

Pavel Felgenhauer, Defence Columnist and Analyst, Novaya Gazeta

Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine’s Ambassador Designate to Canada

Victor Chirilă, Executive Director, Foreign Policy Association, Republic of Moldova

Moderator:        Tim Judah, Balkans Correspondent, The Economist

15:45 – 16:30   European Aspen Strategy Group: Geography and the Policy and Political Implication of the Refugee Crisis (Grand Hall – on the record, open to press)

Laurențiu Ștefan, Presidential Adviser for Internal Political Affairs, Romanian Presidential Administration

Mircea Geoană, President, Aspen Institute Romania

Nicolas Tenzer, Executive President, Aspen Institute France

Moderator:  Andra Miron, News Anchor, Realitatea TV

16:45 – 18:00 Parallel Sessions
I. Trade, Growth and Investment Opportunities along the Eurasian Corridor: What Regional Context for Trade Negotiations, Privatization and Economic Reform? (Ministry board room, 3rd floor – roundtable conversation)

Shovgi Mehdizade, Head of Regional Cooperation Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of teh Republic of Azerbaijan

Frances G. Burwell, Vice President and Director, Transatlantic Relations, Atlantic Council

Shintaro Hamanaka, Economist, Office of Regional Economic Integration, Asian Development Bank

Anatole Klepatsky, CEO and Partner, Altius, Ukraine

Moderator:        Robert Uzună, Affiliated Expert, Romanian Center for European Policies. Aspen Fellow 2012

II. The Mediterranean Conundrum: Between Economic Recovery, Migration and Radicalization (Grand Hall – roundtable conversation) 

Amin Tarzi, Director, Center for Middle East Studies, Marine Corps University, Quantico, USA

H.E. Hamid Moayyer, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania

Koert Debeuf, Project Coordinator, World Leaders on Transitions towards Democracy publication, Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

H.E. Oded Eran (PhD), Senior Research Fellow, Institute for National Security Studies

Sven Biscop, Director, Egmont Royal Institute for International Affairs

Moderator:    Louisa Slavkova, Programme & National Office Coordinator, European Council on Foreign Relations, Sofia office. Aspen Fellow 2013

20:00 – 21:30    Power Dinner

21:30                Night Owl Sessions (off the record, closed to press – by invitation only)
A. Stability in the Greater Middle East area: the Iranian Factor
H.E. Charles Ries, Vice President, International, RAND Corporation

Amin Tarzi, Director, Center for Middle East Studies, Marine Corps University, Quantico, USA

H.E. Oded Eran (PhD), Senior Fellow, the Institute for National Security Studies

Koert Debeuf, Project Coordinator, World Leaders on Transitions towards Democracy publication, Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

Ioana Mateș, Secretary General, Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry Romania – Iran

Moderator:        Dan Petre, Director, Romanian Diplomatic Institute
B. For a New European Economic Model: Fostering Growth, Bridging Social Disparities in the trans-Atlantic Space
Oleg Derevianko, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Radu Soviani, Economic Journalist

Moderator:        Ionuț Stanimir, Director of Communication, BCR. Aspen Fellow 2011

C. Global Competition over Hearts and Minds: Addressing Propaganda and the Role of Media

Igor Munteanu, Vice-rector for International Cooperation and Academic Partnerships, Free International University of Moldova

Gordana Knezevic, Director of Balkan Service, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Anatole Klepatsky, CEO and Partner, Altius Ukraine

Merkhat Sharibzhanov, Senior News Editor, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Moderator:        Oana Popescu, Director, Global Focus Centre

D. Europe’s Soft Spot: Balkans the Unfinished Peace and Prosperity Project

Ana S. Trbovich, Dean and Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration, Singidunum University, Belgrad

Ognyan Minchev, Director, Institute for Regional and International Studies, Sofia

Ivan Vejvoda, Senior Vice President, Programs, The German Marshall Fund of the US

Dimitrios Triantaphyllou, Director of the Center for International and European Studies, Kadir Has University

Corina Rebegea, Resident Fellow, Center for European Policies Analysis (CEPA). Aspen Fellow 2011

Moderator:        Tim Judah, Balkans Correspondent, The Economist

Day 2, Friday, October 16th, 2015
08:30 – 09:00    Registration of Participants and Welcome Coffee

09:00 – 09:30    A conversation on: European Neighborhood – a Test for European Foreign Policy Vision and Capacity (Grand Hall – on the record, open to press)

Daniel Ioniță, State Secretary for Strategic Affairs, Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sen. Benedetto Della Vedova, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Moderator:        Sanda Nicola, News Anchor, Digi24

09:30 – 11:00  The Future of European Security Perspective: Emerging Strategic Focus or Faltering Ambitions? (on the record, open to press)

Keynote address: H.E. Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary General, NATO

Sen. Benedetto Della Vedova, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Daniel Ioniță, State Secretary for Strategic Affairs, Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, Director, Foreign Intelligence Service

Iulian Chifu, Director, Center for Conflict Prevention and Ealy Warning

Moderator:        Radu Tudor, Political and Military Analyst, Antena 3

11:00 – 11:15    Coffee Break

11:15 – 12:30    Parallel Sesions

I.    Regional Security Prospects (Ministry board room, 3rd floor – on the record, open to press)

Initial Commentators:

Tedo Japaridze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia (TBC)

Richard Youngs, Senior Associate, Democracy and Rule of Law Program, Carnegie Europe

Iulian Chifu, Director, Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning

Respondents:

Igor Munteanu, Vice-rector for International Cooperation and Academic Partnerships, Free International University of Moldova

Iulian Groza, Program Director, Institute for European Policies and Reforms, Republic of Moldova

Moderator:       Sven Biscop, Director of the Europe in the World program, Egmont – the Royal Institute for International Relations

II.    Economic and Security Challenges in Asia and their Impact in Eurasia: Can the E-W Trade and Investment Corridor/New Silk Road be Shared? (Grand Hall – on the record, open to press)

Keynote address (11:00 – 11:20)

Shen Weizhong, Deputy Division Director of the Department of European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China

Iuliu Winkler, Vice President of the International Trade Committee, European Parliament

H.E. Doru Costea, Ambassador of Romania to the People’s Republic of China

Shintaro Hamanaka, Economist, Office of Regional Economic Integration, Asian Development Bank

Dr. Jing Men, InBev – Baillet – Latour Chair of European Union-China Relations and Director of the EU – China Research Centre, College of Europe

Dr. Christina Lin, Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Theresa Fallon, Senior Associate, European Institute for Asian Studies

Moderator:        Cristian Pantazi, Editor-in-chief, Hotnews.ro

12:30 – 12:45    Coffee Break

12:45 – 14:00    Parallel sessions

I. Romania Gateway: A Trade and Investment Agenda for the Eurasian Corridor in the Three Seas Region (roundtable conversation)

Steven van Groningen, President and CEO, Raiffeisen Bank

Ismail Radwan, Lead Public Sector Management Specialist

Igor Runov, Under Secretary General, International Road Transport Union

Jarosław Rutkowski, CEO, INC Romania

Moderator:        Radu Soviani, Economic Journalist

II. Countering the Wave of Mainstream Populism: Leveraging Political Crises in Europe (roundtable conversation)

Constanze Stelzenmueller, Robert Bosch Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Zsuzsanna Szelényi, Member of the Hungarian Parliament

Andrei Țărnea, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Romania

Moderator: Corina Rebegea, Resident Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Aspen Fellow 2011

14:00 – 15:00    Lunch

15:00 – 16:30    Parallel Sessions

I. Security in the Era of Digital Economy and Governance: Cyber Threats on the Global Agenda (roundtable conversation)

Initial Commentators:

Gabriel Mazilu, Deputy Director of Cyberint, Romanian Intelligence Service

Liina Areng, Head of International Relations, Estonian Information System Authority

Radu Surugiu, Vice President of the Committee for Defence, Public Order and National Security, Romanian Chamber of Deputies. Aspen Fellow 2013

Respondents:

Augustin Jianu, General Director, CERT-RO

Dan Tătaru, Senator, Parliament of Romania

Kim Zetter, Senior Staff Reporter, Wired

Moderator:        Andrei Roth, General Manager, Recognos Romania. Aspen Fellow 2012
II. Regional Lynchpin: Geopolitical and Geo-economic Choices for Turkey (roundtable conversation)

Dimitrios Triantaphyllou, Director of the Center for International and European Studies, Kadir Has University

Sinan Ülgen, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Europe

Mehmet Öğütçü, Chairman, Global Resources Partnership, Special Envoy for the Energy Charter, The Bosphorus Energy Club

Nicolas Tenzer, Executive President, Aspen Institute France

Moderator:        Balazs Barabas, Foreign Correspondent, Digi24

17:00 – 19:00  China and the West: Investing in mutual understanding

Keynote address:
H.E. Doru Costea, Ambassador of Romania to the People’s Republic of China
Panelists:
Dr. Fang Xiao, Director, Department of General Affairs, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies
Mr. Zhou Tanhao, Researcher, Institute of European Studies, CICIR
Moderator:     Ciprian Stanescu, Corporate Affairs Director, Aspen Institute Romania

Values and perceptions: the East – West gap

Humiliation as a Tool of Blackmail, Lilia Shevtsova, The American Interest, 2 June 2015

Edge of Europe, End of Europe, Timothy Snyder, The New York Review Daily, July 21, 2015

Geopolitics and economy of the East – West corridor

One Belt, One Road: China’s Great Leap, François Godement, European Council on Foreign Relation, Asia Centre, June 2015

The Eastern Partnership after the Riga Summit: Avoiding the path of least resistance, Arkady Moshes, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, FIIA 11/2015 Comment

The United States and China in the Global Economic Order, Amy Jean Studdart, Ye Yu, Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 28, 2015

Ukraine’s Other War, Jana Kobzova, Nicu Popescu, European Union Institute for Security Studies, Brief – No28 – 18 September 2015,

Reviewing the European Neighbourhood Policy: Eastern Perspectives, Edited by Alina Inayeh and Joerg Forbrig, Europe Policy Paper 4/2015, July

What the West Gest Wring about Russia, Ivan Krastev, The New York Times, The Opinion Pages, August 12, 2015

Rethinking the OSCE and Security in Europe, Fred Tanner, Security Community Issue 1/2015

Berlin’s Strategic Moment: The OSCE Chairmanship to Test Its Emergent Leadership, Dr. Constanze Stelzenmüller (Brookings Institution, Washington, DC)

Breaking the Afghan private sector’s deadlock, Henrik Hallgren, International Council of Swedish Industry, October 2015

Energy players across the East – West corridor

From the European energy Community to the Energy Union: A policy proposal for the short and long term, Sami Andoura and Jean-Arnold Vinois, Notre Europe Institut, January 2015

Europe’s Balkanized Power Market, Sara Stefanini, Politico, 15 July 2015

Turkish Stream: Ankara Trying to Balance East and West, Camilla Wuensch, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Turkey Project, July 10, 2015

European Energy Security Should Remain a U.S. Priority, Douglas Hengel, The German Mashall Fund of the US, July 21, 2015

Beware of Cheap Oil!, Rem Korteweg, Center for European Reform, 7 October 2015

Cyber threats and the global agenda

Policy challenges of the digital economy, Christoph Steck, Digital Power Series – Part 3,  28th July, 2015