GLOBSEC international conference in Bratislava
Organized by the Slovak Atlantic Commission, GLOBSECestablishes a platform to create apolicy debate and exports it to the world. Morethan 800 speakers in 8 main panels, 4 night owl sessions, 17 break-out dinnersessions will be debating foreign policy, security and economics for a total of1995 minutes. The organisers have arranged dozens of parallel meetings and morethan 50 bilateral and multilateral political and expert meetings.
Thisyear, GLOBSEC is organized under the Polish Visegrad Presidency. The PolishMinister of Foreign Affairs Mr. RadosławSikorski has taken the lead and decided to give a co-patronage to thisprime foreign policy event in Central Europe in a tandem with the Slovak DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. MiroslavLajčák.
GLOBSECaspires also to celebrate the values we want to achieve and those whosignificantly contributed to these values. Thus, for the second time, GLOBSECwill feature the Gala Dinner– an evening dedicated to thosewho have given their all to strengthen democracy and stability in this region.To those we will present the Czech and Slovak Transatlantic Awards, a jointinitiative with the Czech Jagello 2000. TheGala Dinner will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Slovak and theCzech Republic.
Another ambition of GLOBSEC is to involve emergingyoung policy leaders from across the world into the GLOBSEC forum. We believethat world needs a young generation to challenge traditional policy thinkingand shaping and thus maintain a dynamic dialogue and solutions . ThereforeGLOBSEC 2013 is pleased to shelter also a Young Leaders Forum with its ownprogram.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, chiefof Polish diplomacy Radek Sikorski, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves,Montenegrian Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and dozens of foreign ministersfrom Central and Eastern Europe will meet in Bratislava on 18. — 20. April 2013to discuss strategy for the region.
Zbigniew Brzezisnki will come toBratislava to deliver a major speech at GLOBSEC for central European andinternational leaders on the new role of Visegrad and broader Central Europe inthe times, when Europe is facing existential crisis, when the traditionaltransatlantic defence link is weakening by austerity, Europe is losingcompetitiveness and the position of the «west» is challenged byrapidly growing economies. «We both in the region and Europe badly need anew strategic vision in these difficult times, we are too much focused on managingthe daily implications of the crisis and often forget a more strategic vision.I can hardly imagine a better person to inspire us than ZbigniewBrzezinski» said Róbert Vass founder of GLOBSEC Forum and SecretaryGeneral of SAC.
Mr. Brzezinski will attend also agroup of experts put together by the Slovak Atlantic Commission to come up withrecommendations for a new transatlantic agenda in the 21st century."Experts will also discuss the Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement thatcould be a new source of renewal of the transatlantic economy, competitivenessand the strategic bond" added Vass.
«In times when Europe isgoing through a major restructuring, there is a special role for CentralEurope», said Rastislav Káčer, the president of the Slovak AtlanticCommission. For the first time in the 8 years’ history of GLOBSEC, Polishforeign Minister Sikorski will join his Visegrad colleagues at GLOBSEC todiscuss the strategy for the region and its amplifying political clout inEurope.
Visegrad ministers will thus meetin a complete format at GLOBSEC. «The combined voting power of Visegradgroup in the EU equals that of France and Germany together. But we have beenunable to fully utilize the potential that Visegrad cooperation offers. Attendanceof the Polish chief of diplomacy Radosław Sikorski is seen as a signal ofPolish seriousness not only about GLOBSEC but also about the Visegradregion» added Káčer. Moreover, Minister Sikorski has taken a lead anddecided to co-patronage this prime foreign policy event in Central Europe in atandem with the Slovak deputy prime-minister and foreign minister MiroslavLajčák.
«The timing could not bebetter, Poland is presiding over the Visegrad Group, it has only recentlyagreed to lead the first region’s own battlegroup and its foreign policy isinvesting in strengthening the Visegrad ties more than ever before. Energy anddefence cooperation is only two of many issues on the table. We are glad thatCentral Europe is trying to be a stronger player in Europe, something thatGLOBSEC has been inspiring for years,» says Vass.
