All times are Central European Time (CET) + 1 hour // GMT + 3 hours. Time Zone Converter
All speakers are confirmed if not stated otherwise.
All the sessions will be broadcasted live if not stated otherwise.

Notes:
Friday, September 6
15:30-17:00

The Small Guild Hall, Riga Old Town

 

Opening discussion

Is Europe Still a Player in Global Economy? 

Given a still gloomy economic picture, unemployment exceeding 15 % in a number of EU countries, an unbalanced fiscal system risking further hardship and austerity, and demographic challenges combined with a lack of political solidarity, we must intensify consideration of Europe’s effort to ensure global competitiveness. The EU lacks a strategic outlook and has failed to define its interests leaving it vulnerable and poorly disposed to address a financial crisis in both the shorter and longer terms.  What concrete measures should be taken to remedy this situation?

Valdis Dombrovskis, Prime Minister of Latvia
Zoran Milanović, Prime Minister of Croatia
Yves Leterme, Deputy Secretary General of the OECD
Yannos Papantoniou, President of the Center for Progressive Policy Research, former Economy and Finance Minister of Greece

Moderator: Sylke Tempel, Editor in Chief, Internationale Politik, Germany

17:05-17:30
 

Coffee Break Conversation

STRATCOM: Is NATO fit to win the battle over hearts and minds?

ON-LINE BROADCAST ONLY
Mark Fischer, Managing Director of European Offices, German Marshall Fund of the United States
Jarmo Makela
, Senior Diplomatic Corespondent, Finnish Broadcasting Company

Conversation will be hosted by Raul Rebane, Stratkom, Media Consultant and Journalist

17:30-19:00

The Small Guild Hall, Riga Old Town

 

Does NATO Remedy Looming Fractionalization of Europe?

While the European Union strives to speak with one voice and to develop its military ability, consensus is often out of reach on security affairs. In this situation, NATO can be a uniting factor. Yet the dialogue between NATO and the EU remains weak except on the staff-to-staff level. Do we agree that NATO remains the best platform for collective security in the foreseeable future?  

Artis Pabriks, Defence Minister of Latvia
Pieter De Crem, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Belgium
Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom
Julian Lindley-French, Member of the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Advisors Group

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

21:30-23:00
 

Night Owl Session I

Energy, Economy and Technology

OFF THE RECORD
During economic austerity, energy producers have reassessed investments in energy sector. Since the struggle for energy resources is becoming tougher, those energy companies that will be investing in technological development will be leading in tomorrow’s energy markets. Does investment in technology mean lower energy prices and winning more customers from national and international markets?  Which are the examples that show the way forward?

Daniels Pavļuts, Minister of Economics of Latvia
Jan Chadam, President of the Management Board, Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A, Poland
Hans ten Berge, Secretary General, Eurelectric, the Netherlands

Moderator: Mārtiņš Bondars, Board Member of the Latvian Economists Association 2010

Discussion is supported by the Latvenergo Group

 

21:30-23:00
 

Night Owl Session II

Where will Russian Pressing Domestic Issues take the Russian Federation?

OFF THE RECORD
In the last decade, Russia’s relations with its western partners have remained rocky. The reset button didn’t work.   The establishment of Russia as an economic powerhouse is wishful thinking while Russia’s evolving policies and doctrines signal unabated strategic ambitions.   Russia still perceives itself involved in a zero-sum game with the US on missile defence and in positioning for natural resources. The relationship with the European Union is developing but under-exploited, with Russia insisting that theoretical legal underpinnings to precede practical cooperation.  Where are the current cycle internal changes in Russian domestic society carrying the Russian Federation?

Eckart von Klaeden, Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor, Germany
John Beyrle, former US Ambassador to the Russian Federation
Pavel Andreev, Executive Director of the Valdai Club Foundation, Russia
Michael Stürmer, Chief Correspondent, Welt-Gruppe, Germany 

Moderator: Jos Boonstra, Senior Researcher and Head of EUCAM Programme, FRIDE, the Netherlands

21:30-23:00
 

Night Owl Session III

Islam and Democracy – How Compatible?

OFF THE RECORD
Islam is part of the political and social fabric of the Middle East, North Africa, and of Europe’s Southern and Eastern neighborhood. Unrest in the Middle East and the North Caucasus has placed an emphasis on the role of Islam not only in national and international politics but also with regard to implications for economic modernization and democratic reforms. How should we read events related to the Arab Spring? Are we  witnessing a trend toward greater or lesser democracy, and what are the root causes of unfolding events? Are these short-term phenomena related to specific local realities? Is it fair to speak about democracy and Islam as incompatible? What can we expect in the future and how shall we prepare to address it? What should be the approach of the international community toward tackling the crisis in Egypt and ongoing unrest in the Middle East?

Paige Alexander, Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, USAID
Hassan Mneimneh, Senior Transatlantic Fellow for MENA and the Islamic World, German Marshall Fund of the United States
Diba Nigar Goksel, Editor-in-Chief, Turkish Policy Quarterly, Turkey
Peter Semneby, Swedish Ambassador to Afghanistan

Moderator: Tod Lindberg, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University

Saturday, September 7
9:00-10:30

Small Guild Hall, Riga Old Town

 

Morning discussion

Who is Calling the Shots: the US, China, Europe, India, Others?

For centuries, the loose family of western nations appeared to be on the cutting edge and setting the trends for the rest of the world but global powers like India, Russia, and China are planning for the future and using their growing leverage more and more to shape international economic, political, social developments in their regions and beyond.  What factors are influencing the actions of world powers and how are they jockeying for position to ensure prosperity and stability ?  Would it be accurate to say that the U.S. and Europe are losing power? Are European values at risk in this period of reorientation and recallibration?

Constanze Stelzenmüller, Senior Transatlantic Fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Berlin, Germany
Archana Upadhyay, Associate Professor, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Huang Baifu, Vice-chairman of China Institution for International Strategic Studies (CIISS)
Elena Bryan, the U.S. Senior Trade Representative to the EU Mission in Brussels 

Moderator: Žaneta Ozoliņa, Vice Chairman of Latvian Transatlantic Organisation, Professor of the Department of Political Science, University of Latvia

10:35 - 11:00
 

Coffee break conversation

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP): Can The US and EU Leave Protectionism Behind to Stay Relevant?

ON-LINE BROADCAST ONLY
Andres Ortega, Director at the Observatorio de las Ideas
Elena Bryan, the U.S. Senior Trade Representative to the EU Mission in Brussels
Conversation hosted by Hans Kundnani, editorial director at the European Council on Foreign Relations 

11:00-12:30

Small Guild Hall, Riga Old Town

 

Discussion

Eastern Partnership from Vilnius to Riga and Way Ahead

Countries in Europe and America are clearly struggling with adjustments needed to face external challenges. Meanwhile the promise of integration and connectedness with willing partners to the east of Europe seems to have lost some of its earlier momentum.  What are the expectations of the Eastern Partners from the EU policy makers? Which aspects and fields of activity should be emphasized in order to promote useful cooperation with Eastern Partners?  Could Russia be a part of the game?

Andrius Kubilius, former Prime Minister of Lithuania
Maia Panjikidze, Foreign Minister of Georgia
Andrii Olefirov, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Iulian Groza, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Moldova
Alena Kupchyna, Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus

Moderator: Martin Sieg, Foreign Policy Advisor to the German Bundestag

12:35 - 13:10
 

Coffee Break Conversation

Post Crisis: Europe and the World in 2025. Four Foreign Policy Scenarios

ON-LINE BROADCAST ONLY
Jan Techau, Director of Carnegie Europe, the European center of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 
Thomas Wright, Fellow, Managing Global Order Project, The Brookings Institution

Conversation hosted by Kadri Liik, Senior Policy Fellow and Head of the Wider Europe Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations

13:15-13:45
 

Coffee Break Conversation

What Is and Should Be the Role of Central Asia on the Global Geopolitical Map? 

ON-LINE BROADCAST ONLY
Damon M. Wilson,  Executive Vice President, Atlantic Council of the United States
Jos Boonstra, Senior Researcher and Head of EUCAM Programme, FRIDE, the Netherlands

Conversation hosted by Justin Burke, Managing editor of Eurasianet.org

13:50 - 14:20
 

Coffee Break Conversation

Power is With the People: the Importance of Communication in Afghanistan

ON-LINE BROADCAST ONLY
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO
Conversation hosted by Airis Rikveilis,Representative of the Latvian Ministry of Defence to NATO and the European Union

14:30-16:00

Small Guild Hall, Riga Old Town

 

Afternoon Discussion

Post 2014 Repercussions: What Relations with Regional Powers for NATO and the EU?

Since 2002, and the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council, several practical cooperation projects have demonstrated success including training in counter-narcotics for Afghanistan and Central Asia, funding and training for maintenance of Russian-made helicopters, and the development of the Northern Distribution Network infrastructure for non-military supplies for ISAF’s mission in Afghanistan. Central Asia is a key, and to some extent countries in the region have depended on outsourcing of their security to NATO.  Will post 2014 repercussions bring regional players closer to ensure stability and economic growth of the region? Does more need to be done to ensure a smooth transition from ISAF to “Resolute Support”?

Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO
Patricia Flor, EU Special Representative for Central Asia
Timur B.Urazayev, Ambassador-at-large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Lt. Gen. David Hogg, the US Military Representative to NATO

Moderator: Damon M.Wilson, Executive Vice President, Atlantic Council of the United States

16:05-16:30
 

Coffee Break Conversation

Is There a Way Forward for the Eastern Partnership and Where Does it Lead?

ON-LINE BROADCAST ONLY
Adrejs Pildegovics,
State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
Andrius Krivas, Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania

Conversation hosted by Jan Techau, Director of Carnegie Europe, the European center of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

16:30-17:45

Small Guild Hall, Riga Old Town

 

Concluding Discussion

What is the Strategic Outlook of the EU?

What is the EU strategic outlook in a changing global order when the West is looking at the rest for new trends?  Has the ongoing discussion on the EU’s global strategy generated some ideas which should be taken on board?  Is the EU sufficiently responsive to emerging challenges? What are the current challenges that have not been addressed and how should we address them? What can we say about the strategic vision of Europe and which geostrategic partnerships must the EU be developing in the years to come?  NATO is implementing a new Strategic Concept, and what is the EU doing?

Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia
Radosław Sikorski, Foreign Minister of Poland
Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
Celeste A. Wallender, Associate Professor and Director, Global Governance, Politics, and Security Program School of International Service at the American University, United States of America

Moderator: Petra Pinzler, European Correspondent, Die Zeit, Germany 

17:45-18:00

Small Guild Hall, Riga Old Town

 

Concluding Remarks

by Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia