Arrival

Opening Welcome

Tamás Boros, Executive Director, Equilibrium Institute, Budapest
Petr Luňák, Deputy Section Head, Engagements, NATO PDD

Impact of the US Presidential Election on Global Security Trends – With a Special Focus on US-Central European Cooperation

James J. Carafano, Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow, Heritage Foundation, Washington D.C.
Paul Domjan, Founder and Chief Policy and Global Affairs Officer, Enoda, London
Susan Hutchison, Former Chairman, Washington State Republican Party, Washington DC

Moderator: Botond Feledy, CEO and Geopolitical analyst, Red Snow Consulting, Budapest

Central Question: US elections always have direct and long-term consequences for most countries in the world. This impact will be even more pronounced in 2024 as the domestic and international ambitions of the two presidential candidates diverge sharply and the US domestic political divide reaches unprecedented levels. The panelists explore the different implications of the US election results for the world's two biggest conflicts - the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict in the Middle East. The panelists will also examine the potential impact of the US election result for the Central European region and its countries.

Opening Keynote: Transatlantic Relations: Lessons Learned from Russia’s War Against Ukraine and What the Future Holds (Online)

Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Amb. Kurt Volker, Former Permanent Representative of the US on the North Atlantic Council

Moderator: Réka Szemerkényi, Senior Advisor for Foreign and Security Policy, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the USA

Central Question: How has Russia's attack on Ukraine reshaped European stability and its relationship with the US, and what does this mean for the future of transatlantic cooperation?

Panel Discussion: Russia and China: Coupling or De-coupling, Towards Friendship or Strategic Subjugation

Konstantin Eggert, MBE, Columnist and Programme Host, Deutsche Welle, Vilnius
Anthony Kim, Senior Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation, Washington DC
Tamás Matura, Professor, Corvinus University; Founder, Central and Eastern European Center for Asian Studies, CEECAS, Budapest

Moderator: Giorgio Cella Ph.D., Foreign Policy Analyst, Med-Or Foundation, Author of "Storia e geopolitica della crisi ucraina. Dalla Rus' di Kiev a oggi"

Central Question: How is Russia's war against Ukraine impacting its relationship with China, and what are the consequences for the international system, particularly for Europe and East-Central Europe?

VIP RECEPTION - ON INVITATION ONLY

Arrival, Registration and Coffee

Opening of Conference

Tamás Boros, Executive Director, Equilibrium Institute, Budapest
Réka Szemerkényi, Senior Advisor for Foreign and Security Policy, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the USA

Opening Video Message

Ambassador Boris Ruge, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, NATO

Opening Keynote Discussion: NATO in the New Security Environment of the 21st Century

James J. Carafano, Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow, Heritage Foundation, Washington D.C.
Jörn Fleck, Senior Director, Europe Center, Atlantic Council, Washington D.C.
Tomi Huhtanen, Executive Director, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, Brussels
Tamás Vargha, Deputy Minister, State Secretary for Parliamentary Relations, Ministry of Defence, Budapest

Moderator: Tamás Boros, Executive Director, Equilibrium Institute, Budapest

Central Questions: How should the US and Europe respond to the massive international developments with global repercussions that are challenging the transatlantic relationship?

Video message

Senator Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate, Washington DC

Panel 1: The Washington Summit and Beyond – Stakes and Challenges

Krisztián Mészáros, Director for Partnerships, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO
Ashley L. Rhoades, Defense Policy Researcher, RAND, Washington DC
Vladimir Socor, Senior Analyst of East European Affairs, Jamestown Foundation, Washington DC
Giedrius Surplys, MP, Vice Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament of Lithuania, Vilnius
Péter Sztáray, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Budapest

Moderator: Susan Hutchison, Former Chairman, Washington State Republican Party, Washington DC

Central Questions: Has NATO provided the right answers to the security challenges of its members, and what are the implications of the Washington Summit for the future of the Alliance and its partners?

Panel 2: Energy Policy and the Impact of the War against Ukraine – Collapse or the Emergence of a New European Energy Landscape

Keynote:
Attila Steiner, State Secretary for Energy and Climate Policy, Ministry of Energy, Budapest

Speakers:
Diana Furchtgott Roth, Director, Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment and The Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow in Energy and Environmental Policy, Heritage Foundation
Olga Khakova, Deputy Director for European energy security, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Jukka Leskelä, CEO, Finnish Energy Industries Federation, Helsinki
Tibor Stelbaczky, Ambassador at large, Principal Adviser on Energy Diplomacy, MD Global, European External Action Service, Brussels

Moderator: Réka Szemerkényi, Senior Advisor for Foreign and Security Policy, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the USA

Central Questions: How has the war in Ukraine impacted European energy policy and the green transition? Is Europe navigating the disruptions caused by the war effectively, or are there negative long-term consequences for its competitiveness and for the transatlantic relationship?

Lunch

Keynote: The EU as a Foreign Policy Actor

Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issue, Brussels

Central Questions: In light of the increasing global tensions and divergent foreign policy approaches among member states, how can the EU effectively act as a unified foreign policy actor?

Video Message

Philip T. Reeker, Chair, Global Europe Program, The Wilson Center, Former Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, State Department, Washington DC

Keynote: Connectivity and Interconnections in Central and Eastern Europe: The Three Seas Initiative

Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, Presidential Ambassador and Special Envoy for Three Seas Initiative; Chancellery of the President Duda, Warsaw

Central Questions: How has Russia's war against Ukraine impacted regional cooperation frameworks in Central and Eastern Europe, and what is the strategic response of initiatives such as the Three Seas Initiative?

Parallel Workshops - PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR WORKSHOPS

Workshop #1
A new European Energy Landscape: From the Russian Import Dominance through New Opportunities to the Green Transition

Paul Domjan, Founder and Chief Policy and Global Affairs Officer, Enoda, London
Frank Umbach, Head of research of EUCERS/CASSIS, University of Bonn
Georg Zachmann, Senior Fellow, Energy and Climate Policy, Bruegel Institute, Brussels

Moderator: Csaba Gondola, Chief Adviser to the Minister, Ministry of Energy; Managing Director, Institute for Energy Strategy, Budapest

Central Questions: How can Central and Eastern Europe navigate its energy transition away from Russian import dependence towards a greener and more secure energy future? What role in Central Europe for renewables and what role for nuclear energy for a successful green transition?

Workshop #2
Cybersecurity and AI: Enablers, Enhancers and Defenders in the Parallel Warfare

Péter Krekó, Director, Political Capital, Budapest
Anett Mádi-Nátor, President, Women4Cyber Foundation, Brussels
Balázs Nagy, CEO, NewPush, Google Digital Transformation Leader, Washington
Dr. George Tilesch, Global Expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Founder and President of PHI INSTITUTE for Augmented Intelligence, San Francisco
Michelle Watson, Visiting Senior Fellow, Danube Institute
Mihály Zala, Head of Technology Risk and Cyber Security, EY, Budapest

Moderator: Levente Juhász, Public Policy Manager, CEE, Google, Budapest

Central Questions: How are cybersecurity and artificial intelligence intertwined in modern warfare, acting as both enablers of attack and enhancers of defense?

Workshop #3
Western Balkans: Unresolved Tensions and Conflicting Priorities

Robert Benjamin, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe, NDI
Paul McCarthy, Europe Regional Director, International Republican Institute, IRI, Washington DC
Dora Meredith, Director, ODI Europe, Brussels
Amb. Jozsef Pandur, Political Advisor and Representative of EUSR Lajčák, Belgrade

Moderator: Ashley L. Rhoades, Defense Policy Researcher, RAND, Washington DC

Central Questions: How can the Western Balkans overcome persistent tensions and navigate conflicting priorities to achieve lasting stability, strengthening common values and progress towards European integration?

Workshop #4
Regional Cooperation - the Visegrad Group, the Bucharest Nine, the Three Seas Initiative, Benefits, Challenges and the Way Ahead

Botond Feledy, CEO and Geopolitical analyst, Red Snow Consulting, Budapest
Aaron Korewa, Director, Warsaw Office, Atlantic Council, Warsaw
Konrad Poplawski, Coordinator for Connectivity and Regional Integration, OSW, Warsaw

Moderator: Pavlina Janebová, Research Director, AMO, Prague

Central Questions: How can regional cooperation initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe, such as the Visegrad Group, the Bucharest 9, and the Three Seas Initiative, effectively address shared challenges and leverage opportunities for mutual benefit in an evolving geopolitical landscape?

Workshop #5
Challenges and Opportunities for Europe’s Defense Industry

Ferenc Kaiser, Associate Professor, Ludovika University of Public Service, Budapest
Christina Catherine Krause, Head of Department International Politics and Security Affairs, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, KAS, Berlin
Dominik P. Jankowski, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Poland to NATO, Brussels
Rachel Rizzo, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Europe Center, Atlantic Council, Washington DC

Moderator: Krisztián Mészáros, Director for Partnerships, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO

Central Questions: How can Europe's defense industry, particularly investment decisions in this sector in Central and Eastern Europe, navigate current challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities to strengthen the various countries and the region’s capabilities and ability to contribute to European and transatlantic security?

Coffee Break

Message by President Lech Wałęsa

Lech Wałęsa, former President of the Republic of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Panel 3: Europe under Siege: Scenarios for After Russia’s War Against Ukraine

Pekka Haavisto, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Finland; Member of Parliament and Presidential Candidate, Parliament of Finland, Helsinki
Michał Kurtyka, Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council, Washington DC; Former Minister of Climate, Poland
Géza Jeszenszky, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hungary

Moderator: Olga Khakova, Deputy Director for European energy security, Atlantic Council, Washington DC

Central Questions: How will Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine impact the security and stability of countries bordering the warring parties, and what are the potential scenarios for the future?

CLOSING PANEL DISCUSSION – Which way is Forward for Central Europe?

Robert Benjamin, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe, NDI
Matthew G. Boyse, Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, State Department, Washington DC
Zsolt Németh, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hungarian National Assembly, Budapest

Moderator: Piotr Gulczyński, Counselor for Sponsorships, World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Piacenza

Central Questions: In the face of contradictory pressures and strategic challenges, what is the real current state of Central Europe and its transatlantic relations, how secure are the countries of the region, how stable is the region and its European and transatlantic ties? On the basis of the last two and half years of Russia’s war and the reactions to it, what direction should Central Europe take both internally, in terms of the region’s cooperation frameworks, as well as externally, in the relations of the countries of the region to Europe, to the US? Is the current divide going to cut the region into two for good, making it impossible to revert back to the concept of a cooperative and unified Central Europe - and if so, what security concepts will drive its future?

Networking