DETAILS

The Transatlantic Drift Debate series focuses on relations between North America, the European Union and the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe. It considers these in the context of the EU’s evolving partnership with the United States, and the growing voice of new members in European affairs. Do the emerging states hold the power to strengthen the bonds of the transatlantic partnership, and move both continents towards a common vision?

Recent political and diplomatic tensions that have developed between North America and Europe require analysis and resolution if the world’s most significant geopolitical alliance is to survive and prosper. The Transatlantic Drift Debates are designed to accommodate the perspectives of a wide range of opinions from different countries. The project aims to bring together policy shapers from both sides of the Atlantic to exchange ideas and discuss current issues regarding the relationship between the USA and Europe. Each host country plays a key role in the debate, as many of the participating audience will be local decision-makers. Some participants have attended all the debates; others come for the first time. The main aim is to hold an open and frank exchange of opinions.

The Debate in Bratislava is the sixth of the series in which the first five were held in the Congress of the United States, Washington, DC; the State Representation of Baden-Württemberg, Berlin; the Congress Centre of the Brno Trade Fair and the Foreign Ministry, Czech Republic; and most recently the House of Representatives (Washington DC) and the House of Lords, London.

TOPICS

The topics for the debate in Bratislava will be:

1) What role can the Central and Eastern European members of the EU and NATO countries play in the future in:
a) integrating more Eastern/Central European Countries into the EU/NATO;
b) being the bridge between the EU/NATO and the former NIS?

2) Given the consequences for Russia and its relations to the EU as well as to US/NATO – given case
a) from above: Would that lead to an isolation of Russia
resulting in worsening relations between EU and Russia and how would that affect the Transatlantic Relations? Or given case
b) from above: Will that cause increased political tension? Will it slow down economic development of that region?

PRGRAMME

18.04.2005

arrival and accommodation
day time – student panel

19.04.2005

09.00 - Coffee
09.30 – Introduction: Marc S. Ellenbogen/Herman Pirchner
09.45 – Keynote Address (Minister Kukan)
09.55 – Debate
12.00 – Lunch
13.30 - Keynote Address (Minister Kühnl)
13.40 - Debate
18.00 - Concluding remarks (Minister Buttiglione)
18.30 - Press Conference
19.00 - Reception

PARTICIPANTS

OSCE: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Hon. Jan Kubiš > Secretary General

Austria
Hon. Dr. Alois Mock > Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister a.D., Hon. Chair of the OVP

Bulgaria
H.E. Yaroslav Golev > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Canada
Hon. Barbara McDougall > former Finance Minister and Foreign Minister of Canada, Advisor, AIRD & BERLIS
H.E. Bruce Jutzi > Ambassador to the Czech and Slovak Republics
John Broadbent > Canadian Chargé d´Affaires to Slovak Republic

Czech Republic
Hon. Karel Kühnl > Minister of Defense
Hon. Jan Kasl > former Mayor of Prague; Founder and Chairman, European Democratic Party
Hon. Pavel Bratinka > former Czech Cabinet Minister, Vice-President, Prague Society
H.E. Vladimír Galuška > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic
Hon. Jirí Dienstbier > former Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia; Chairman, Council on Foreign Relations
MGen Rostislav Kotil (ret) > Director, Defense Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Defense
Petr Polievka > Corporate Governance Director, Zentiva, a.s.
Jan Jun > London Correspondent, Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, UK

Denmark
H.E. Berno Kjeldsen > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Egypt
H.E. Mohamed Moustafa Kamal > Ambassador to the Czech Republic

France
Daniel Biguine > Corporate Chairman, Art Collector

Germany
Hon. Hagen Graf Lambsdorff > former German Ambassador to Czech Republic
Dr. Gernot von Grawert-May > former Representative of the Group Board, Berlin and Chairman, Canada, Deutsche Bank, Vice-Chairman, Global Panel Foundation
Kai Metzner > Executive Director, Global Panel Foundation
Dr. Jochen Wittmann > Vice-President, Porsche AG, Board Member, Global Panel

Hungary
Hon. Istvan Gyarmati > former Under-Secretary of Defense, Senior Advisor on South East Europe, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
Judit Láng> Deputy Head of Mission to the Slovak Republic

India
H.E. M. K. Lokesh > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Italy
Hon. Rocco Buttiglione > Minister of European Union Policy

Japan
H.E. Toyojiro Soejima > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Netherlands
H.E. Laurent Stokvis > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Poland
Hon. Piotr Switalski > Under-Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Portugal
H.E. Mr. José Ernst Vieira Branco > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Romania
Hon. Teodor Melescanu > Vice-President, Senate, former Minister of Foreign Affairs
H.E. Mrs. Valerica Epure> Ambassador to Slovak Republic

Russia
Ambassador Boris Pankin > Last Soviet Foreign Minister, Amb. to Sweden (1982-89); Amb to Czechoslovakia (1989-91); Amb. to Court of St. James (UK, 1992-94)

Slovak Republic
Hon. Eduard Kukan > Foreign Minister
Hon. Pavol Paška> Parliamentary Deputy, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee
Hon. Ján Carnogurský > Former Prime Minister of Slovakia and Minister of Justice
Martin Barto> Vice-Governor, Slovak National Bank
Ingrid Brockova > COO, World Bank
Martin Bútora > former Ambassador to the United States, Honorary President of Institute for Public Affairs
Pavol Demeš > Director, US-German Marshal Fund
Alexander Duleba > Director, Research Center of Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA)
Tibor Gregor > Executive Director, Klub 500
> Program Director, Institute for Public Affairs
Grigorij Meseznikov > Director, Institute for Public Affaires
Ivo Samson > Research Center of Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA)
František Šebej >Editor, Tyzden
Tibor Gregor > Executive Director, Klub 500
Dalibor Slavík

Slovenia
H.E. Maja Marija Lovrencic Svetek > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Spain
Miguel Alonso Berrio > Spanish Deputy Head of Mission to Slovak Republic

Sweden
H.E. Cecilia Julin > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Ukraine
Anatoly Hrytsenko > Minister of Defense (tbc)
H.E. Serhii Ustych > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

United Kingdom
Hon. Anne Pringle > Director for Strategy and Information, The Foreign Office
H.E. Judith Macgregor > Ambassador to the Slovak Republic
Dr. Barbara Day, MBE > Senior Fellow, the Prague Society, Czech Republic
Huw William Jones >Director, British Council, Slovak Republic

United States
Yossef Bodansky > Director, Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, Member of the Board, Global Panel
Marc Ellenbogen > Chairman, Global Panel Foundation, President, The Prague Society
Ash Rajan > Senior Vice-President, Prudential Investments, Member of the Board, Global Panel
Hon. Scott Thayer > Chargé d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy in Slovak Republic
Martin Walker > Editor-in-Chief, United Press International (UPI), Member of the Board, Global Panel

SPONSORS

Dr. Tomáš Chrenek > Chairman, Supervisory Board, Moravia Steel Group
Burkhard Dallosch > General Manager, Commerzbank, Czech and Slovak Republics
Martin Horvath > Director, Commerzbank, Slovak Republic

For more information contact: Dr. Barbara Day