The Atlantic Council is hosting the 2023 edition of Central Europe Week, entitled “Leadership and Resilience on Europe’s Frontlines,” from November 6 to November 10. Central Europe Week is the Europe Center’s annual flagship conference that aims to foster a dynamic US-Central European partnership and help raise Central European voices, seeking common approaches to tackle pressing challenges in Europe and beyond.

Whether promoting regional security through their steadfast support of Ukraine or bolstering economic opportunity by serving as a center for industrial growth and technological innovation, many countries in Central Europe play an invaluable role in building transatlantic resilience, strength, and prosperity. As transatlantic partners continue to jointly strategize on how to deepen cooperation and counter mounting geopolitical tensions, this year’s Central Europe Week aims to highlight how the United States and Central Europe can lead in shaping responses to global challenges, while also underscoring their unique cultural and historical connections. The conference will feature high-level programming with distinguished US and European experts in Prague, Warsaw, Bratislava, and Washington DC.

Agenda

Monday, November 6

Virtual programming live from Prague

8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET / 2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CET         A view from Prague on securing Ukraine’s European future

FEATURING

Keynote remarks: The Hon. Bijan SabetUS Ambassador to the Czech Republic

Dr. Benedetta BertiHead of Policy Planning, Office of the Secretary General, NATO

Amb. Daniel FriedWeiser Family Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council; Former US Ambassador to the Republic of Poland

H.E. Jan MarianDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Amb. Oleh ShamshurNonresident Senior Fellow, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council; Former Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States

Moderator: Ms. Rachel RizzoNonresident Senior Fellow, Europe Center, Atlantic Council

10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. CET         Spotlight conversation with H.E. Martin Dvořák, Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic

FEATURING

H.E. Martin DvořákMinister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic

Moderator: Amb. Daniel FriedWeiser Family Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council; Former US Ambassador to the Republic of Poland

Tuesday, November 7

Virtual programming live from Bratislava

8:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ET / 2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. CET         Economic security and resilience in Central Europe: Laying the foundation for transatlantic dynamism

FEATURING

Welcome remarks: Amb. Daniel FriedWeiser Family Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council; Former US Ambassador to the Republic of Poland

Keynote remarks: The Hon. Gautam RanaUS Ambassador to the Slovak Republic

Mr. Jeffrey LightfootProgram Director, Europe, Center for International Private Enterprise; Nonresident Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council

Ms. Sona MuzikářováFormer Senior Economic Adviser to the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak RepublicBretton Woods 2.0 Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Dr. Martina SlabejováExecutive Director, AmCham Slovakia

Moderator: Mr. Vladimír VaňoChief Economist, GLOBSEC

Wednesday, November 8

Virtual programming live from Warsaw

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. CET         Europe’s friendly-shores: Central Europe in Europe’s tech sovereignty push

FEATURING

Welcome remarks: Amb. Daniel FriedWeiser Family Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council; Former US Ambassador to the Republic of Poland

Keynote remarks: The Hon. Mark BrzezinskiUS Ambassador to the Republic of Poland

Dr. Izabela AlbrychtDirector, Cybersecurity Center, AGH University of Science and Technology; Co-founder, CYBERSEC

Dr. Piotr ArakDirector, Polish Economic Institute

Mr. Michał KanownikPresident, Digital Poland Association (ZIPSEE)

Ms. Kamila Sotomska, Government Affairs and Public Policy Senior Analyst, Google

Moderator: Mr. Aaron KorewaDirector, Warsaw Office, Atlantic Council

Closing remarks: H.E. Beata Daszyńska-MuzyczkaPresident of the Management Board, Polish Development Bank; Special Representative to the President of the Republic of Poland for the Three Seas Initiative

Thursday, November 9

Hybrid programming live from Washington DC with in-person and virtual viewing options

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET        Spotlight conversation with H.E. German Galushchenko, Minister of Energy of Ukraine

FEATURING

Opening remarks: Amb. John HerbstSenior Director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council; Former US Ambassador to Ukraine

H.E. German GalushchenkoMinister of Energy of Ukraine

Moderator: Mr. Landon DerentzSenior Director and Richard L. Morningstar Chair for Global Energy Security, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET        Spotlight conversation with The Hon. Jeanne Shaheen and The Hon. Pete Ricketts

FEATURING

Opening remarks: Mr. Ian BrzezinskiSenior Fellow, Atlantic Council

The Hon. Jeanne Shaheen, United States Senator (D-NH)

The Hon. Pete RickettsUnited States Senator (R-NE)

Moderator: Mr. Frederick KempePresident and Chief Executive Officer, Atlantic Council

1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET         Ukraine’s fight and NATO’s future: First insights from Central Europe on the Washington Summit

FEATURING

Opening remarks: Amb. Paula Dobriansky, Vice Chair, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council; Former US Under Secretary of State for Global AffairsSenior Fellow, Future of Diplomacy Project, Harvard University Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs

H.E. Jan Jireš, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic

General Douglas Lute, Chair, International and Defense, BGR Group; Former United States Permanent Representative to NATO

H.E. Kristjan Prikk, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the United States

Ambassador Yuri Kim, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, US Department of State

Moderator: Ms. Anca Agachi, Defense Policy Analyst, RAND Corporation; Nonresident Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. ET         Meeting the Moment: US-Central European partnership on the challenges of the future         

FEATURING

Ms. Rita BaloghEurope Lead, International Government Affairs, Google

Dr. Frances Burwell, Distinguished Fellow, Europe Center, Atlantic Council; Senior Director, McLarty Associates

Amb. John HerbstSenior Director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council; Former US Ambassador to Ukraine

H.E. Radovan JavorčíkAmbassador of the Slovak Republic to the United States

Moderator: Ms. Olga Khakova, Deputy Director, European Energy Security, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council


Speakers

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Related reading

Recap previous Central Europe Weeks

Catch up on last year’s Central Europe Week considering Central European leadership in shaping the transatlantic response to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

Catch up on 2021’s Central Europe Week virtual event series on the transatlantic response to global challenges ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to democratic resilience.

Check out the 2020 edition of Central Europe Week, which focused on the future of transatlantic relations after COVID-19.

In 2019, the inaugural Central Europe Week conference marked the thirty-year anniversary of the fall of communism by celebrating the future of a free Europe and its connections with the United States.

The Europe Center promotes leadership, strategies, and analysis to ensure a strong, ambitious, and forward-looking transatlantic relationship.