Event programme 2021

08:00 – 09:30 – Registration

09:30 – 09:45: Official opening 
(Plenary – open session – press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –” Bucharest” Venue]

09.30 – 09.45 Welcome remarks: Mr. Ionel Nițu, President, New Strategy Center; Mr. Răzvan Teodorescu, Acting Rector of the University of Agronomic Sciences

09:50 – 10:45 Panel I. Together for a Safer and Prosperous Europe in a World Facing New Challenges
(Plenary – Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –” Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Professor Dan Dungaciu, member of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center, Romania

• H.E. Florin Cîțu, Prime-Minister, Romania

10:45 – 11:10 Coffee break

11:10 – 12:30 Panel IIa. Opportunities in the Black Sea Region for the Energy Sector. Development, Cooperation, Supplier Diversification
(Plenary – open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Mr. Marilen Pirtea, Rector of the West University of Timișoara, Romania

• H.E. Virgil Popescu, Minister of Energy, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Ion Sterian, CEO Transgaz, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Alexandru Maximescu, Vice-President Regulatory & Corporate Public Affairs, OMV Petrom, Romania (confirmed)
• Cosmin Ghiță, General Manager, Nuclearelectrica, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Ștefan Popescu, Deputy Director of Regulatory and Public Affairs, ENGIE Romania (confirmed)

12:10 – 12:30 Open Discussions

11:10 – 12:30 Panel IIb. Unmanned Systems in the Black Sea Region. Smart Approach, Fast Development
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –“Danube” Venue]

Chair: RADM (ret.) Sorin Learschi, Senior Associate Expert, New Strategy Center, Romania

• Major General Gheorghiță Vlad, Deputy Chief of Defence for Operations and Training, Romania
• Mr. Seth Cropsey, Director Center for American Seapower, Hudson Institute, USA (confirmed – via VTC)
• Representative of General Atomics, USA
• Representative of Elbit, Israel (confirmed)
• Representative of U-Tacs, UK (confirmed)
• Representative of IAI, Israel (confirmed)

12:00 – 12:30 Open Discussions

11:10 – 12:30 Panel IIc. The Pandemic and the Future of the Economy. Development trends in the Region
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –“Black Sea” Venue]

Chair: Mrs. Alexandra Gătej, Member of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center, Romania

• Natasha Kapil, Senior Private Sector Specialist – Finance, Competitiveness, Innovation, Europe and Central Asia, World Bank (confirmed – via VTC)
• Abby Innes, Assistant Professor, European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science (tbc)
• István-Loránt Antal, Chairman, Committee on Energy, Energy Infrastructure and Mineral Resources, Senate, Romanian Parliament (confirmed)
• Mr. Radu Crăciun, President, Association for Private Pensions in Romania; General Manager, Romanian Commercial Bank (BCR) Pensions, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Alexandru Reff, Country Managing Partner, Deloitte, Romania (confirmed)

12:00 – 12:30 Open Discussions

12:30-12:50 Coffee break

12:50 – 14:00 Panel IIIa. Pandemics, Infodemics and Education. Supporting Digital Literacy Projects and Countering Fake News Campaigns and Misinformation
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Prof. Alina Bârgăoanu, Senior Associate Expert, New Strategy Center; Dean, Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, National School of Political Science and Public Administration (SNSPA), Romania

• Mrs. Ligia Deca, Presidential Advisor for Education, Romania (confirmed)
• H.E. Sorin Cîmpeanu, Minister of Education (confirmed)
• Mr. Angel Tîlvăr, Chairperson, Committee on Democracy  and Security, NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Romania (confirmed)
• Representative of Microsoft, USA
• Representative of Vodafone, Romania

13:3o – 14:00 Open Discussions

12:50 – 14:00 Panel IIIb. Food Security and Resilience in the Black Sea Region and the Balkans in the context of COVID-19 and Other Shocks
(Plenary – open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Black Sea” Venue]

Chair: Mrs. Nastasia Belc, President/General Manager, National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources (IBA), Romania

• Mr. László Borbély, State Advisor, Coordinator of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, Romania
• Mrs. Heather McKhann, Coordinator Executive Secretariat, Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI)  -(confirmed)
• Mrs. Claudia Zoani, Researcher, Biotechnologies and Agroindustry Division (BIOAG), Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Italy (confirmed)
• Representative of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (tbd)
• Representative of a company in the food sector (tbd)

13:40 – 14:00 Open Discussions

12:50 – 14:00 Panel IIIc. Old Frozen Conflicts and New Wars.  Lessons for the Future
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –“Danube” Venue]

Chair: Mr. Igor Munteanu, former ambassador of Republic of Moldova to the US, Republic of Moldova

• Ambassador Pavlo Klimkin, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine (tbc)
• Ambassador Kurt Volker, former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, USA (confirmed via VTC)
• Ambassador Pierre Andrieu, former Ambassador of France to the Republic of Moldova and Tajikistan; former co-chair of the Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (confirmed)
• Mr. Alexander Iskanderian, Director, Caucasus Institute, Armenia (confirmed)
• Ambassador (Ret.) Farid Shafiyev, Chairman, Center of Analysis of International Relations, Azerbaidjan (confirmed)

13:30 – 14:00 Open Discussions

14:00 – 15:30 Lunch

15:30 – 17:00 Panel IV. Classic and Hybrid Challenges on NATO’s Eastern Flank. Building a Better Common Threats Understanding from the Arctic to the Eastern Mediterranean  
(Plenary – open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Ambassador Cristian Diaconescu, member of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania

• H.E. Frank Bakke-Jensen, Minister of Defense, Norway
• E. Antti Kaikkonen, Minister of Defence, Finland
• H.E Krasimir Karakachanov, Minister of Defence, Bulgaria
• E. Nicolae Ciucă, Minister of National Defence, Romania (confirmed)
• E. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, Minister of National Defense, Greece
• General (ret.) Curtis Scaparroti, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, USA (confirmed – via VTC)

16:30 – 17:00 Open Discussions

17:00 -17:30 Coffee break

17:30 – 19:00 Panel V. Deterrence and Defence in the Euro-Atlantic Space. A Unitary and Comprehensive Response for the Safety o the Black Sea Region and the Balkans
(Chatham House rules, no press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Major General (ret.) Leonardo Dinu, member of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center; former Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence Directorate, Romania

• Admiral Rob Bauer, Chief of Defence, Netherlands, next Chairman of the NATO Military Committee (confirmed)
• Lieutenant General Ignazio Gamba, Chief of Staff and Head of European Union Command Element, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, NATO, Italy (confirmed)
• Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu, Chief of Defence, Romania (confirmed)
• Vice-Admiral Hervé Bléjean, Director- General of the European Union Military Staff, France (confirmed)

18:30 – 19:00 Open Discussions

19.00- 20.30 Garden Party

08:00 – 09:30 – Registration

09:30 – 10:45 Panel VI. Challenges and Opportunities in the Post-Pandemic World
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, Honorary Chairman of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center; Director, European Union Satellite Centre, Romania

• E. Bogdan Aurescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania (confirmed)
• H.E. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Croatia (confirmed)
• H.E. Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine (tbc)

10:45 -11:05 Coffee break

11:05 – 12:20 Panel VIIa. Security and Prosperity. Future Infrastructure for a Safer Region
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –  ”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Ms. Antonia Colibășanu, Analyst, Geopolitical Futures, Romania

• Representative of the  Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructures, Romania
• Gordon Skip Davis, former Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Defense Investment Division, NATO, USA (confirmed via VTC)
• Ambassador Mihnea Motoc, Deputy Head, European Political Strategy Center (EPSC), European Commission; former Minister of National Defence, Romania  (confirmed)
• Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges, Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA); former commander United States Army Europe, USA (confirmed via VTC)
• Representative of Damen Naval Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Cătălin Podaru, General Manager, Leviatan, Romania (confirmed)

12:00– 12:20 Open Discussions

11:05 – 12:20 Panel VIIb. European Research and Development for Defence. Opportunities for the Future
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences – ”Danube” Venue]

Chair: Liviu Coșereanu, member of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center, Romania

• Major General Teodor Incicaș, Chief of the General Directorate for Armaments, Ministry of National Defence, Romania (confirmed)
• Ms. Inge Ceuppens, Policy Officer, European Defence Fund – Research (DEFIS A2), Directorate-General Defence Industry and Space, European Commission
• Mr. Cyrille Bret, Development Director, Naval Group, France (confirmed)
• Representative of Thales, France (confirmed)
• Mr. Cătălin Nae, General Director,  National Institute of Aerospace Research “ELIE CARAFOLI” – INCAS, Romania (confirmed)

11:50– 12:20 Open Discussions

12:20– 12:45 Coffee break

12:45-14:00 Panel VIIIa. One Year and a half of Coping with the Pandemic. Has Health Care Become a Strategic Component of the National and International Security Environment?
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Mr. Dan Iliescu, Rector of the Ovidius University of Constanta, Romania

• Mr. Cristian Bușoi, Chairman, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, EU Parliament, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Nelu Tătaru, Chairman, Committee for Health and Family, Chamber of Deputies, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Raed Arafat, State Secretary, Head of the Emergency Department, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Andrei Baciu, State Secretary, Ministry of Health, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Daniel Ioniță, Cyber Security Manager, Cymed/Infoworld, Romania  (confirmed)

13:30-14:00 Open Discussions

12:45-14:00 Panel VIIIb. The US Defense Industry, East-Central Europe and Industrial Cooperation. A Partnership for a More Resilient Economy in the Region
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Danube” Venue]

Chair: Lieutenant General (Ret.) Cătălin Moraru, former Deputy Chief of the Armaments Department, Ministry of Defence, Romania

• Mrs. Daniela Nicolescu, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Romania (c0nfirmed)
• Mr. Dennis Goege, Vice-President Central and Eastern Europe, Lockheed Martin International, USA (confirmed)
• Mr. Daniel Popescu, General Manager, Romaero, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Adam Hodges, International Vertical Lift Sales & Marketing, Boeing, USA (confirmed)
• Mr. John Lazar, Vice-president, Oshkosh Defense, USA (confirmed)

13:30 – 14:00 Open Discussions

14:00 – 15:30 Lunch

15:30 – 16:45 Panel IXa. Building Resilience in the Balkans. Old and New Challenges for the Region
(Chatham House rules, no press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Ambassador (Ret.) Victor Jackovich, first US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, former U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia, USA

• Daniel Markić, Director, Security-Intelligence Agency (SOA), Croatia (confirmed)
• Mr. Murat Yeșiltaș, Director of security studies, Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Turkey (confirmed)
• Ambassador (Ret.) Gheorghe Magheru,  member of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Yordan Bozhilov, Founder and President of the Sofia Security Forum, Bulgaria (confirmed)
• Major General Cristian Bizadea, Deputy Director, Romanian Intelligence Service, Romania (confirmed)

16:15 – 16:45 Open Discussions

15:30 – 16:45 Panel IXb. Connectivity, Cyber Security and 5G Challenges
(Chatham House rules, no press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences –”Danube” Venue]

Chair: Mr. Marcel Foca, Senior Expert, New Strategy Center, Romania

• Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, Honorary Chairman of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center; Director, European Union Satellite Centre, Romania  (confirmed)
• Christian-Marc Liflander, Head of the NATO Cyber Defence Section, Estonia
• Vlad Stoica, President, National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM), Romania (confirmed)
• Brigadier General Anton Rog, Director, National CyberInt Center, Romanian Intelligence Service (confirmed)
• Representative of Ericsson, Sweden (confirmed)
• Timo Koster, former ambassador-at-large for security policy and cyber, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands (confirmed)

16:15 – 16:45 Open Discussions

16:45 – 17:10 Coffee break

17:10-18:25 Panel X. Post-Pandemic Word and International (In)Security.
(Open session, press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences – ”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Ambassador (Ret.) Doru Costea, Senior Associate Expert, New Strategy Center, Romania

• Charles Powell, Director of the Elcano Royal Institute, Spain (confirmed)
• Ambassador Elena Poptodorova, Vice President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, former Ambassador of Bulgaria to the USA
• Harlan Ullman, Senior Advisor, Atlantic Council, USA (confirmed)
• Mr. George Friedman, Chairman, Geopolitical Futures, USA (confirmed-via VTC)
• Christopher Coker, Professor, London School of Economics, Director of IDEAS, LSE’s foreign policy think tank, UK (confirmed – via VTC)

18:00 – 18:25 Open Discussions

18:25 – 18:40 Coffee break

18:40-19:55 Panel XI. Challenges of the New Generation Warfare. Multi-Dimensional Approaches in the Post-Pandemic Strategic Environment
(Chatham House rules, no press access)
[University of Agronomic Sciences – ”Bucharest” Venue]

Chair: Mr. Greg Melcher, Chief Operations Officer, Center for the Study of New Generation Warfare, USA

• Mrs. Simona Cojocaru, State Secretary, Ministry of National Defence, Romania (confirmed)
• Guillaume Ollagnier, Head of Division for Europe, America & Multilateral action, Ministry of Defence, France (confirmed)
• Lieutenant General Stephan Thomas, Commander, DEU Elements MN Corps/Basic Military Organisation, Land Forces, Germany (confirmed)
• General (ret.) Sir James Everard, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), UK (confirmed)
• Major General Iulian Berdilă, Chief of Land Forces, Romania (confirmed)
• Mr. Karsten Friis, Senior Adviser, Head of Research Group on Security and Defense, The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) (confirmed)

19:30 – 19:55 Open Discussions

19:55 – 20:00 Closing remarks: Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, Honorary Chairman of the Scientific Board, New Strategy Center; Mr. Răzvan Teodorescu, Interim Rector of the University of Agronomic Sciences