Arrival

Welcome

Tamás Boros*, Executive Director, Equilibrium Institute, Budapest
Petr Luňák*, Deputy Section Head, Engagements, NATO PDD, Brussels
Réka Szemerkényi*, Director of International Affairs, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the USA, Budapest

Welcome Reception

Registration

Opening of Conference

Tamás Boros*, Executive Director, Equilibrium Institute, Budapest
Petr Luňák*, Deputy Section Head, Engagements, NATO PDD, Brussels
Réka Szemerkényi*, Director of International Affairs, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the USA, Budapest

Keynote: One Year After - From the Decisions of the Washington Summit to the Expectations for the Hague Summit

KEYNOTE:
Boris Ruge*, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, NATO, Brussels
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Minister of Defence, Hungary, Budapest

Opening Keynote Panel: Five Months After - The Strategic Priorities of the New US Administration and its Impacts for Europe and the Rest of the World

NATO on the road between the Washington and the Hague Summits. From 2% to 5%? What to expect and what not to expect from the Hague Summit for transatlantic security? Promise and/or peril ahead of the new US administration for ending the war in Ukraine? Containing, appeasing, or giving in to Russia?

Speakers:
James J. Carafano*, Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow, Heritage Foundation, Washington DC
Jörn Fleck*, Senior Director, Europe Center, Atlantic Council, Washington D.C.
Benedikt Franke, Vice-Chairman and CEO, Munich Security Conference, Munich

Moderator: Adam LeBor*, Deputy Director of Research, Danube Institute, Budapest

Coffee Break

PANEL 1: Strategic Europe - Evolving Strategic Thinking and Developing Defence Capabilities - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?

Europe on the rise - or on the brink? European defense identity and/or European Defense Capability - What are the chances, challenges,and consequences of having one and of not having one? Enhancing Europe’s defence capabilities: cooperation with the US or go-it-alone? Science and Space: global cooperation, global competition, or global confrontation?

KEYNOTE:
Péter Sztáray*, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Budapest

Speakers:
Matthew G. Boyse*, Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute, Washington D.C.
Tomi Huhtanen*, Executive Director, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, Brussels
Žygimantas Pavilionis*, Member of the Seimas, Chair of Transatlantic and Democracy Subcommittee, Parliament, Vilnius

PANEL 2: Strategic Energy - From Politics to the Market, or From Market to Politics? Challenges and Game-changer Innovations

How can governments and industries strike a balance between energy security, market-driven competition, and geopolitical realities? What breakthrough innovations have the potential to redefine global energy security and sustainability in the coming decade? Is increasing energy efficiency becoming a key to long-term energy supply security, or will supply diversification always take precedence? How can new approaches to transatlantic business cooperation foster energy security and efficiency of the market while mitigating political, economic and strategic disruptions?

KEYNOTE:
Arnoldas Pikžirnis*, Vice Minister for Energy, Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuania

Speakers:
Robbie Diamond, Founder, President and CEO, Secure America’s Future Energy, Washington DC
Paul Domjan, Founder and Chief Policy and Global Affairs Officer, Enoda, London
Diana Fruchgott-Roth*, Director, Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment and The Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow in Energy and Environmental Policy, Heritage Foundation, Washington DC

Lunch

PANEL 3: Strategic AI and Cybersecurity - From the Explosive Growth of Generative AI through Risks and Limitations?

Cybersecurity as a constant threat to all organizations and individuals. Security gaps and effective defenses. Need for advanced technologies and integrated security platforms for protection. Growing geopolitical tensions and disruptive cyberattacks.

Speakers:
Dave Krasner*, CEO, MCK Group IT, New Orleans
Vilma Misiukonienė*, Board Member, Consultant on EU Affairs and Digital Policy, KSE, Vilnius
Marta Poslad, Director, CEE & Transatlantic Public Policy, Google; Chairwoman of American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, Warsaw
Michelle Watson*, Executive Director for Corporate Relations, Institute of World Politics, Washington DC

Moderator: Balázs Nagy*, CEO, NewPush, Google Digital Transformation Leader, Washington DC

PANEL 4: Strategic Balkans - From Bad to Worse?

What is the current state of the security landscape in the Western Balkans, given its constant evolution? How the fight for the soul of the region is evolving - the competing priorities and impacts of Russia, China, and the EU?

Speakers:
Odeta Barbullushi, Resident Professor, College of Europe, Tirana
Robert Benjamin*, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe, National Democratic Institute, Washington DC
Amb. Michael R. Carpenter, Former Ambassador of the US to the OSCE, Vienna, Washington DC
Vlora Citaku, Former Minister of European Integration, Kosovo
Rumena Filipova*, Chairperson, Institute for Global Analytics, Sofia
Sonja Licht, President, Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society, Belgrade
Paul McCarthy*, Europe Regional Director, International Republican Institute, Washington DC

Parallel Workshops

#1 Strategic Space - The Geopolitics of Space: Cooperation, Competition, Confrontation - The New Space Race?

How is great power competition shaping the geopolitics of space? What role does space play in modern warfare and national security? How can the peaceful use of space be ensured, and the militarization of space be prevented? What legal and ethical challenges arise from space resource extraction and commercialization? How does the growing role of the private sector impact global space dynamics?

Speakers:
Beata Daszynska-Muzyczka, Presidential Ambassador and Special Envoy for Three Seas Initiative; Chancellery of the President Duda, Warsaw
Orsolya Ferencz*, Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary, Budapest
Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC
Thomas Zurbuchen, Director, ETH University of Bern, Bern

#2 Climate Change and Its Security Implications

Speakers:
Dora Meredith, Director, ODI Europe, Brussels
Adam Sikorski, Co-founder, UNIMOT Capital Group, Zawadzkie
Tibor Stelbaczky, Ambassador-at-large, Principal Adviser on Energy Diplomacy, European External Action Service, Brussels

Moderator: Dóra Csernus, Director of Climate, Energy and Environment, Equilibrium Institute, Budapest

#3 Defence Industry: Musts and Must Nots

How can transatlantic defence industry cooperation be strengthened in the face of emerging security threats? What are the implications of technological innovation for the future of the global defence industry? The role of private sector investment in defence: opportunities and risks.

Speakers:
Ann M. Dailey, Geopolitical Strategist, RAND Corporation, Washington DC
Dominik P. Jankowski, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Poland to NATO, Brussels
Krisztián Mészáros*, Director for Partnerships, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO, Brussels

Moderator: Tom McDevitt, Chairman, The Washington Times, Washington DC

#4 From TTIP to a Euro-Atlantic War of Tariffs? Trans-atlantic Economic Cooperation, its Challengers and its Alternatives

Was TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a proposed agreement between the EU and the US, a lost and the last opportunity to strengthen transatlantic business and economic ties? Are introducing and increasing tariffs the new normal in TA business and economic ties and if so, what are the consequences for the EU’s as well as for the US’ economy? How will tariffs hurt the European and American economies? Will they rock TA trade relations and will they push European businesses to turn to China as an alternative to TA trade, hampered by tariffs now? Is China the winner of TA tariffs by gaining economic positions in the European economies?

Speakers:
Krzysztof Błędowski*, Visiting Adjunct Professor, University of Rseszow, Rzeszów
Charles Calomiris, Heritage Foundation; Henry Kaufman Professor of Financial Institutions, Columbia University, Washington DC
Bryan W. Roberts*, Senior Economist, Devtech Systems, Washington DC
Howard J. Shatz, Senior Economist, RAND Corporation, Washington DC

#5 Russia and Europe, Russia and the World: New Relationships After the War in Ukraine?

How can Central and Eastern European nations enhance regional security cooperation? The Three Seas Initiative and its role in economic and strategic resilience. Balancing national interests and collective security: challenges in regional cooperation.What role does the EU and NATO play in fostering stronger ties among CEE countries?

Speakers:
Giorgio Cella Ph.D.*, Foreign Policy Analyst, Med-Or Foundation, Author of "Storia e geopolitica della crisi ucraina. Dalla Rus' di Kiev a oggi", Rome
Konstantin Eggert*, MBE, Columnist and Programme Host, Deutsche Welle, Vilnius
Christina Catherine Krause*, Head of Department, International Politics and Security Affairs, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Berlin
Vladimir Socor*, Senior Analyst of East European Affairs, Jamestown Foundation, Washington DC
Mark Voyger*, Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis; Director of the Master of Science Program in Global Management, Kyiv

Moderator: Adam LeBor*, Author, Editorial, Financial Times, Economist Education, London

Coffee Break

PANEL 5: Strategic Indo-Pacific - The Return of Geopolitics?

The evolving security situation of Taiwan - engaging for stability and what role for Europeans. China’s strategic thinking and its impact on transatlantic strategy. A European and/or an American Indo-Pacific-strategy?

Speakers:
Zoltán Fehér*, Nonresident Felllow, Global China Hub, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Anthony Kim, Senior Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation, Washington DC
Velina Tchakarova*, Founder, Geopolitical Strategist, FACE For A Conscious Experience, Vienna
John Tsagronis*, Professor of Statecraft and National Security Affairs, Institute of World Politics, Washington DC
Michael Wesley*, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global Culture & Engagement, University of Melbourne, Melbourne

Moderator: Tom McDevitt, Chairman, The Washington Times, Washington DC

PANEL 6: Strategic Ukraine - How To End This War. Ukraine and the Future Transatlantic and European Security

Three years into the war: What has Ukraine achieved, and what are the remaining strategic challenges? How has the conflict reshaped European security policies and NATO’s strategic posture? What are the prospects for Ukraine’s long-term security guarantees and Euro-Atlantic integration? How should reconstruction efforts be coordinated to ensure Ukraine’s economic and military resilience? What lessons has the international community learned from the ongoing war, and how do they shape future deterrence strategies?

KEYNOTE:
Tamas Vargha*, Deputy Minister, State Secretary for Parliamentary Relations, Ministry of Defence, Budapest
Ambassador William Courtney*, Adjunct Senior Fellow and Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND, Washington DC
Dr. Matthew Sussex*, Visiting Fellow, ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Center, Canberra
Ambassador Kurt Volker*, Distinguished Fellow at Center for European Policy Analysis, Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Former Permanent Representative of the US on the North Atlantic Council, Washington DC

Speakers:
Jonathan Eyal*, Associate Director, Royal United Services Institute, London
Carrie Filipetti*, Executive Director, Vandenberg Coalition, Washington DC

Moderator: Mark Voyger*, Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis; Director of the Master of Science Program in Global Management, American University, Kyiv

Closing Keynote Panel: Strategic Central Europe: Becoming a New Player, Divided to Muddle Through, or Back to the Russian Sphere of Interest. A Region to Redefine Itself

How can Central Europe navigate the evolving security landscape, especially amid growing geopolitical tensions in the Euro-Atlantic space? What strategic partnerships should Central Europe prioritize to reinforce transatlantic security and economic resilience? Can Central Europe grow into a key partner of the US foreign policy, or will it fall victim of the American focus on the Indo-Pacific? What role can Central European countries play in enhancing European security?

Speakers:
Amb. Daniel Fried*, Former US Ambassador to Poland, Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Michal Kurtyka, Former Minister, Pulaski Foundation, Warsaw
Zsolt Németh, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee, Hungarian National Assembly, Budapest
Nicola de Santis*, Head Engagements Section, NATO PDD, Brussels

Moderator: Ia Meurmeshvili*, Chief International Correspondent, Foreign Policy, Washington DC

Closing Remarks

Tamás Boros*, Executive Director, Equilibrium Institute, Budapest
Réka Szemerkényi*, Director of International Affairs, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the USA, Budapest

Networking

Closed Doors Roundtable Meetings and Partner Events - On invitation-only