Barroso, Hagel Among Recipients of Atlantic Council Honors, April 30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2014

CONTACT
Taleen Ananian

202.778.4993,  press@AtlanticCouncil.org 

Barroso, Hagel Among Recipients of Atlantic Council Honors, April 30
Evening includes tribute to EU and NATO enlargements; performance by Ukraine’s Ruslana 

WASHINGTON – The Atlantic Council on April 30 will present its annual Distinguished Leadership Awards to Chuck HagelJosé Manuel Barroso, Thomas EndersRuslana Lyzhychko, andJoseph F. Dunford, Jr., and will also pay tribute to historic European Union and NATO enlargements at a time when democracy in Europe’s east is challenged.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the European Union’s largest enlargement round and the 15th, 10th, and 5th anniversaries of NATO enlargement rounds, the Council will recognize the following leaders at the awards dinner:

  • US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will receive the award for Distinguished International Leadership for his outstanding public service, his contributions to global security and commitment to working with allies and partners around the world.
     
  • European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will receive the award for Distinguished International Leadership for his dedication to the cause of European integration and ensuring that the benefits of that integration—stability, prosperity, and democracy—reach across an ever-widening Europe.​
     
  • Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders will be recognized for Distinguished Business Leadership. A visionary business leader and passionate Atlanticist, Dr. Enders drove Airbus to be one of the world’s most competitive aerospace companies while also serving as the founding chairman of the company’s charitable foundation, which partners with organizations like the International Red Cross on disaster relief missions around the world.
     
  • Award-winning musician, activist, and civic leader of the Euromaidan Ruslana Lyzhychko will receive the Council’s award for Distinguished Humanitarian Leadership and perform at the awards dinner. A fixture of the Euromaidan during Ukrainian protests, Ruslana—who originally gained fame as winner of the Eurovision song contest—has been dedicated to advancing democracy and human rights in her country and beyond.
     
  • International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and US Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) Commander Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. will accept the award for Distinguished Military Leadership on behalf of the men and women of ISAF and USFOR-A, after years of deployment and following Afghanistan’s promising democratic elections.​

The dinner follows a high-level, two-day Atlantic Council conference entitled Toward a Europe Whole and Free, featuring former national security advisors Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski; US Senators Robert Corker, John McCain, and Christopher Murphy; and six European foreign ministers. The program will be forward-looking and address the prospects for continued NATO and EU integration, especially timely in the face of Russian aggression in Europe’s east.

For more information or to request accreditation to cover the Distinguished Leadership Awards and/or the Toward a Europe Whole and Free Conference, please email your full name, title, and affiliation to  press@AtlanticCouncil.org by Friday, April 25. Space is limited.

Dinner location, start time, and logistical details will be provided upon confirmation of accreditation.