Black Sea Synergy

Details

The Black Sea region, the bridge between Europe and Asia, has become very dynamic and draws ever more attention to it. As an energy and transport hub, including two new EU member states and the debate on Turkish EU accession lingering, the region plays an important role for the EU as well as Euro-Atlantic interests. The region’s prospects to grow and thrive, however, are at risk. The development of the Black Sea region is hampered e.g. by frozen conflicts, young democracies and insufficient border controls nourishing illegal migration and organised crime. Yet, cooperation among the Black Sea states which is needed to tackle these obstacles is only in its infancy.

The conference “Black Sea Synergy” will provide the space to voice critical views on these issues. The gathering of key experts and decision makers will offer an opportunity to develop new ideas on future European and transatlantic relations with the Black Sea region, stepping up conflict resolution and cooperation initiatives as well as dealing with energy security.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Sunday, October 21

-17:00

Arrival in Odessa

17:00

Press Conference,

Project Presentation

(Odessa City Hall, Dumska Ploshcha 1)

• Nico Lange, KAS Ukraine
• Jan Piekło, PAUCI
• Eduard Gurvits, Odessa City Mayor

18:00

Opening Ceremony

(Odessa City Hall, Dumska Ploshcha 1)

• Nico Lange, KAS Ukraine
• Jan Piekło, PAUCI
• Eduard Gurvits, Odessa City Mayor

18:30

Opening Discussion

(Odessa City Hall, Dumska Ploshcha 1)

Public Podium Discussion with Odessa auditorium

• Ruprecht Polenz, Chairman of the German Bundestag’s Committee on Foreign Affairs

• Ian Boag, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine

• Andriy Veselovsky, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

• Eduard Gurvits, Odessa City Mayor

Moderation: Volodymyr Dubovyk, Center for International Studies, National Mechnikov University, Odessa

20:00

Reception

(Restaurant “Red Sails”)

followed by: Odessa Night Walk

Monday, October 22

07:00

Boarding, Border Formalities, Customs Control (Odessa port, near Hotel “Odessa”)

10:00

Conference Opening

(conference hall on the ship “Yuzhnaya Palmyra”, Odessa port)

Steering Committee

10:15

Key Note Speech from European Commission

Janos Herman, European Commission, DG External Relations (RELEX), Principal Adviser DGA2

10:30

Panel 1: EU-Policies in the Black Sea Region, European Neighbourhood Policy and Turkish Accession

• Ian Boag, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine
• Fabrizio Tassinari, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Copenhagen University, Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels
• Rainer Lindner, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
• Traian Hristea, Ambassador of Romania to Ukraine

Moderation: Jan Piekło, PAUCI

12:15

Panel 2: Black Sea Business – Trade Cooperation and Integration

• Panayotis Gavras, Black Sea Trade & Development Bank, Policy and Strategy Department, Greece
• Valeriy Korol, Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Moderation: Maria Wągrowska, Center for International Relations, Warsaw

14:00

Lunch Break

15:00

Ship Departure from Odessa

15:30

Panel 3: Energy Supply Security

• André Mernier, Secretary General of the Energy Charter Secretariat
• Alexandr Shevchenko, Ukrtransnafta JSC, Deputy Head of the International Department

Moderation: Krzysztof Bobiński, President of Poland-EU Foundation

17:15

Panel 4: Security and Frozen Conflicts in Wider Black Sea Region

• Levon Zourabian, International Crisis Group
• Mihail Ionescu, PfP Greater Black Sea Regional Working Group, Institute for Political Studies in Defense and Military History, Bucharest

Moderation: Oleksandr Sushko, Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy

20:00

Evening of the Nations

Tuesday, October 23

09:00

Common Breakfast/Brunch

10:00

Morning Debates: Views from Black Sea Countries

Moderated Talk Show with Country Representatives

• Ramaz Kvatadze, Executive Director of the Georgian Research and Educational Networking Association GRENA
• Gayane Novikova, Director of the Center for Strategic Analysis, Yerevan
• Yaşar Yakış, Former Turkish Foreign Minister, Chairman of the EU Committee in the Turkish Parliament
• Eden Mamut, Black Sea Universities Network - Center for Advanced Engineering Sciences, Romania

Moderation: Thomas de Waal, Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), London

12:15

The Final Word: Black Sea Synergy

• Ruprecht Polenz, Chairman of the German Bundestag’s Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Janos Herman, European Commission, DG External Relations (RELEX), Principal Adviser DGA2
• James Sherr, Conflict Studies Research Centre, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom

Moderation: Nico Lange, KAS Ukraine

14:30

Snacks, Break

15:30

Arrival in Istanbul, Deboarding

17:00

Press Conference for Turkish Media

Official end of the conference.

Friday, October 26

12:00

Ship Departure from Istanbul port

Saturday, October 27

13:00

Arrival in Odessa, Deboarding