Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves addressed the Atlantic Council on March 19 as part of the Global Leadership Series. Atlantic Council Board Director and CEO of LexisNexis, Andrew Prozes, provided introductory remarks while Frederick Kempe, President and CEO of the Atlantic, moderated the Q&A session.

In a lively speech, President Ilves examined threats and opportunities facing the Alliance, while touching on perceptions of the post-Lisbon EU in Estonia. The President also evaluated areas of concern to states of Central and Eastern Europe with particular emphasis on the strategic role of energy supplies. During the question and answer session, President Ilves touched on strategic engagements with Russia, Estonian accession to the Eurozone, and the nature of cyber warfare.

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Podcast (MP3):

President Ilves at the Atlantic Council Freedom’s Challenge dinner

Media Coverage:

• President Ilves: there should be much more co-operation between NATO and the European Union – Estonian Presidency Website
• President Ilves at the Atlantic Council – Ago Ambrie, Estonian Life

Global Leadership Series:

• José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain
• Radoslaw Sikorski, Foreign Minister of Poland
• Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum
• Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine
• Husain Haqqani, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States
• Ali Babacan, Foreign Minister of Turkey
• Robert Kimmitt, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury
• Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy to Darfur
• Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

Photo credit: Estonian Presidency

Image: Ilves%20110.jpg