WASHINGTON, DC – May 30, 2023 – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center (GEC) will hold the eighth annual Central and Eastern European Energy Security Conference on Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Washington, DC, in partnership with the Slovak V4 Presidency of the Visegrad Group. This year’s conference will be held in person at the Atlantic Council headquarters, while also streaming to a global virtual audience.

The Central and Eastern European Energy Security Conference is the leading platform in Washington for addressing key energy security and climate issues in the region. The conference is part of the Global Energy Center’s European Energy Security and climate portfolio, which aims to evaluate how the United States and Europe can cooperate to strengthen transatlantic energy security and decarbonization efforts.

“The Central and Eastern European Energy Security Conference is a critical platform for highlighting action the transatlantic community can take to strengthen the region’s energy system, which has been significantly impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” said Landon Derentz, senior director of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center. “Achieving this regional goal will also bolster broader European energy security, and go hand in hand with ambitions to accelerate the continent’s energy transition toward a more secure and sustainable energy future. US engagement on these issues has never been more important.”

This year’s conference will feature senior government and private sector leaders, as well as experts from academia, who will discuss the future of energy security and climate mitigation in the region and identify opportunities for transatlantic cooperation. Participants will explore how Central and Eastern Europe can advance energy security by replacing Russian gas imports, creating the clean energy industries of the future, rebuilding Ukraine into a regional clean energy hub, and securing supply chains for nuclear and renewable energy.

Ambassador Richard Morningstar, founding chairman of the GEC noted, “Central and Eastern Europe is moving quickly to turn the current crisis into an opportunity to replace Russian gas while accelerating net-zero ambitions and tying them inextricably to energy security goals. The United States can help in these efforts.”

“In addition to addressing long-term climate and security concerns, the conference will also serve as a platform to enhance preparations for the next winter, as multiple factors could exacerbate the energy crisis without proactive measures,” said Olga Khakova, deputy director for European energy security at the GEC. “Moreover, experts will discuss strategic coordination around support for Ukraine’s immediate energy needs this year.”

To register as a participant at the eighth annual Central and Eastern European Energy Security Conference and to view the agenda, please click here.

The 2023 Central and Eastern European Energy Security Conference will be on the record and open to the media. The conference is supported by Cheniere, EQT, Excelerate Energy, PPD, the Slovak V4 Presidency of the Visegrad Group, and Tellurian.

The Global Energy Center promotes energy security by working alongside government, industry, civil society, and public stakeholders to devise pragmatic solutions to the geopolitical, sustainability, and economic challenges of the changing global energy landscape.

Please contact press@atlanticcouncil.org for media inquiries.