25 Years of Transition:
Post-Communist Europe's Economic Transformation

Introductory Remarks by:
Daniel Price
Managing Director
Rock Creek Global Advisors

Report Presentation by:
Aasim M. Husain
Deputy Director of the European Department
International Monetary Fund

James Roaf
Senior Resident Representative, Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe in Warsaw
International Monetary Fund

Panel Discussion featuring:
H.E. Andris Razans
Ambassador of Latvia to the United States
Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States

H.E. Ryszard Schnepf
Ambassador of Poland to the United States
Embassy of the Republic of Poland to the United States

Aasim M. Husain
Deputy Director of the European Department
International Monetary Fund

Mark Sobel
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Monetary and Financial Policy 
US Department of the Treasury

Moderated by:
Andrea Montanino
Director, Global Business and Economics Program
Atlantic Council

On Monday, December 15, the Atlantic Council will host the US launch of a new International Monetary Fund report entitled 25 Years of Transition which explores how Eastern Europe's economy has changed and grown since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The event also marks the start of our new  EuroGrowth Conversation Series, focused on getting Europe back on the path to sustainable economic growth and job creation through structural reforms  and more and better trade across the Atlantic.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 changed world history and dramatically transformed Europe. Central and Eastern Europe embarked on a historic transition from communism to capitalism and democracy, and a reintegration into the global economy. Liberalization of trade and price fluctuation came quickly, but institutional reforms in areas like governance, competition policy, labor markets, and privatization of state-owned enterprises—often faced significant opposition from vested interests. Reform momentum has slowed significantly in recent years, with a risk of reversal emerging in some countries. To revitalize economic growth and reduce the risk of crises reemerging in the region, a stronger commitment to free market policies  is needed.

Please join us on December 15  for what promises to be an interesting and lively discussion about Eastern Europe's economic transformation and its challenges going forward. The report launch will be followed  by a high-level panel discussion.