The European Union and its Eastern Partners - Current approaches to regional cooperation
Practical information
The Eastern Partnership Reflection Forum 2017 (EaP-RF) is an initiative inspired by the on-going “EU-Western Balkans Reflection Forum Initiative” (WB-RF). The latter was launched in 2015 in support of the so-called “Berlin Process”, an intergovernmental initiative aimed at promoting reforms and regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. The WB-RF, now backed by the CEI, emerged as the expert component within the Berlin Process.
It convenes a community of experts in order to encourage a wider strategic reflection on EU relations with Western Balkan states and build bridges with national and international administrations. The value-added of the WB-RF is its capacity to facilitate a pan-European dialogue on the EU’s strategy towards the Western Balkans by mobilising a pool of EU and non-EU experts; capacity to disseminate discussions throughout Europe (EU and non-EU) through outreach and in-reach public seminars; and willingness to create long-stranding synergies by fostering cooperation amongst experts and with foreign policy actors.
Programme
10 December 2017 18h00-19h00: Welcoming cocktail offered by Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe
19h00-20h30: Evening talk – Security dialogue & regional cooperation in and with the Eastern Partnership region
11 December 2017 8h45-18h00: Main event
18h40-21h30: Closing Reception given by the Embassy of France in Minsk (upon invitation)
12 December 2017 8h35-11h45: Optional guided tour of the MTZ tractor factory & surrounding area (upon registration)
Organised and coordinated by
Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (CFA),
Vienna Minsk Dialogue Track II Initiative (MD), Minsk
Centre international de formation européenne (CIFE), Nice/Berlin
French Institute for International Relations (Ifri), Paris/Brussels
German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin
Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership (ECEAP), Tallinn
Austrian Institute for International Politics (Oiip), Vienna Istituto affari internazionali (IAI), Rome
Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA), Bratislava
European Institute for Peace (EIP), Brussels
Other events
From Ambition to Action: Exploring Technological Partnerships with India
The 16th EU-India Summit, held on January 27th in New Delhi with European leaders António Costa, Ursula von der Leyen, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marks a significant milestone in deepening EU-India relations. At the same time, official bilateral visits from EU member states are on the rise, including that of the French President, who visited India in February to participate in the Artificial Intelligence Summit. As India asserts its technological ambitions and seeks to reduce its dependence on China, Europe is stepping up its efforts to diversify its strategic partnerships.
China’s New Five-Year Plan: Accelerated Electrification and Global Clean Tech Export Expansion?
China's energy and clean tech sector developments are continuing to decisively impact the global energy system on the one hand, and to steer the country's economy towards rapid electrification on the other hand.
The Enlargement of the European Union: A Strategic Choice? France, the Western Balkans and the EU in an Uncertain Geopolitical Context
Russia’s war against Ukraine has brought the enlargement of the European Union back to the centre of European strategic debates. In this context, the Western Balkans have regained heightened visibility in discussions on the continent’s security, at a time when the international environment is marked by a growing number of destabilising factors.