Agenda

The mood in Europe is somber.  History will judge if EU leaders have misdiagnosed the Eurozone crisis, focusing too much on tackling the increase in current government spending. The causes of the EU crisis stem from the divergence in competitiveness between the Eurozone’s core of strong economies and its struggling “periphery”. EU reforms based solely on fiscal austerity can become self-defeating. If the single currency isn’t feasible without fiscal convergence and economic integration, the Eurozone must consolidate to save itself. Will the Eurozone survive the current crisis?  The need for fiscal discipline has been recognized, but how can economic growth be achieved in a time of austerity? What is the right balance? Will this crisis bring Europe closer together or pull it apart?

H.E. Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis, Prime Minister of Latvia 

H.E. Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia

H.E. Mr. Andrius Kubilius, Prime Minister of Lithuania 

Mr. Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, Chairman of Baltic Development Forum 

Prof. Leszek Balcerowicz, Professor of Economics at the Warsaw School of Economics, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, former President of the National Bank of Poland

Moderator: Mr. Pauls Raudseps, Weekly magazine IR, Latvia

Discussion is supported by the European Commission Representation in Latvia

FOR ONLINE AUDIENCE

Mr. Yannos Papantoniu, former Economy and Finance Minister of Greece from 1994 to 2001, currently President of the Center for Progressive Policy Research 

Mr. Hans Kundnani, Editorial Director, European Council on Foreign Relations, The United Kingdom

The Western financial and economic crisis of 2008 has led to the restructuring of the global economy, correcting a historic anomaly by which Asian part in the global economy reduced by five times. Now, however, Asian and other emerging markets show strong commitments for growth, while a policy confused by interests and ideology drives the West towards a less promising route which is failing to deliver serious growth in short and medium terms.  Will reforming the Western economic and financial model translate into returning global political might or has world changed for good?

H.E. Mr. Edgars Rinkevics, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Mr. Bernard Cazeneuve, Minister Delegate for European Affairs of France

H.E. Prof.dr.sc. Ms. Vesna Pusic, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia

Moderator: Mr. Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, Senior Fellow & Senior Director for Strategy, German Marshall Fund of the United States

OFF THE RECORD 

OFF THE RECORD 

Does the regime in Belarus has had a tight grip on its opposition and society? What bargaining tools internationally Belarus possesses with both – West and Russia? Are political repressions, control over media, and economic leverage the opportunities for bargaining? What is the real value of Belarus in the eyes of the Western and Russian decision makers? Has the West just lost it to Russia, or not yet? To which side will the West let Belarus roll? 

Dr. Oleksandr Pavlyuk, Senior Fellow, East West Institute 

Mr. Andrew Wilson, Senior Policy Fellow of the European Council on Foreign Relations, the United Kingdom

Amb. Karel Kovanda, Deputy Director-General (ret.), External Relations, European Commission

Moderator: Dr. Alexander Pivovarsky, Head of Eastern Europe and Caucasus, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

OFF THE RECORD 

Recently, the US Administration outlined its newUSdefence strategy to strengthen its military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Will this cause implications to overall NATO capabilities in the future? Americans have a reason to see the Trans-Atlantic relationship with diminished relevance especially in the security policy area where burden sharing constantly turns into burden reduction. Is the new concept of smart defence NATO’s answer to current financial problems? What is NATO’s response to risk of growing political turmoil inEuropeand in its neighbourhood, and risk of re-nationalization of European defence efforts? The range of policy choices is wide open, including further enlargement vs. regionalization.

Dr. Artis Pabriks, Minister of Defence of Latvia

Mr. Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Defence of Norway

Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, Minister of Defence of Italy

Amb. Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary General of NATO

Prof. Julian Lindley-French, Member of the Atlantic Council of the United States

Moderator: Dr. Hans Binnendijk, SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations, Johns Hopkins University

FOR ONLINE AUDIENCE

Dr. Gatis Junghans, Head of Trading, Latvenergo AS, Latvia

Prof. Alan Riley, The City Law School, Director of the LLM Programme, The United Kingdom 

The current US Administration released a new security document in January entitled “Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities For 21st Century Defence” indicating a strengthening of US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Do Americans increasingly see Europe of diminishing importance? Americans don’t view Europe of becoming a unitary strategic actor, thus providing stronger arguments for re-nationalization of US relationships with European countries.  Meanwhile, the political elite in Europe relies upon the US as its key strategic partner in security and foreign policy. Is there a way of closing the gap of perceptions?

Prof. Simon Serfaty, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair (Emeritus) in Global Security and Geostrategy at CSIS, Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States

Ms. Julianne Smith, Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden

Amb. Kurt Volker,  Executive Director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership

Amb. Hans-Friedrich von Ploetz, Ret. German Ambassador

Moderator: Mr. Craig Kennedy, President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States

FOR ONLINE AUDIENCE

Mr. Vladimir Socor, Senior Fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, United States of America 

Prof. Andres Kasekamp, Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, Estonia

Prof. Marek Dabrowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Research (CASE), former President of the CASE in Warsaw, Poland

 Moderator:  Mr. Edijs Boss, journalist and foreign policy expert

FOR ONLINE AUDIENCE

H.E. Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis, Prime Minister of Latvia

Moderator: Mr. Edijs Boss, journalist and foreign policy expert

FOR ONLINE AUDIENCE

Dr. Alexander Pivovarsky, Head of Eastern Europe and Caucasus, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Mr. Balazs Jarabik, The FRIDE Associate Fellow

Mr. Ingmar Oldberg, Research Associate at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs

FOR ONLINE AUDIENCE

Mr. Stanislav Tkachenko,  St. Petersburg State University, Director of Diplomatic Studies, Russia

Mr. Veiko Spolitis, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Defence of Latvia

H.E. Per Carlsen, Ambassador of the Royal Danish Embassy in Riga TBC

Moderator: Mr. Edijs Boss, journalist and foreign policy expert

Election in Russia brought no surprises. But Vladimir Putin’s policies of autocracy for stability are no longer working well as protesters crowd in discontent. Though there is no Russian spring ahead just yet, the risk of a social and political explosion in Russia remains high. Putin failed to enforce a rule of law, curb corruption, and establish a system that provides a basis for sustainable economic development. Will it ring the alarm bell for Putin loud enough to trigger real reforms? What are the implications for the West if no reforms take place in Russia?

Video comment by Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former United States National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter (1997 -1981)

Mr. Christian Schmidt, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defence of Germany

Ms. Lilia Shevtsova, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment Moscow

Mr. Bobo Lo, Independent Scholar and Consultant

Mr. Artem V. Malgin, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and Russian Foreign Policy of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University)

Moderator: Mr. Robert Cottrell, Founder of The Browser

Discussion is supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung