The Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center presents the inaugural Frankfurt Forum on US-European GeoEconomics on September 28 in-person in Frankfurt, Germany and online around the world.

The War in Ukraine, and the G7 response, has reminded us of the impact of transatlantic coordination. The Frankfurt Forum will be an opportunity to advance the transatlantic dialogue from crisis response to addressing the economic issues that will underpin the US-EU partnership over the next decade.

This special event, in cooperation with Atlantik-Brücke and with the participation of Bruegel, will bring together senior policymakers, private sector leaders, and academics from both sides of the Atlantic. Speakers in four high-level sessions will discuss transatlantic cooperation in these key areas: digital currencies, monetary policy, international trade, and economic statecraft.

President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde will open the forum with a keynote fireside chat.

Agenda

8:55 – 9:20 am CET

Welcoming remarks

Ulrich Caspar, President, IHK Frankfurt am Main
Sigmar Gabriel, Chairman, Atlantik-Bruecke
Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, Atlantic Council

Keynote fireside chat

Christine Lagarde, President, European Central Bank

IN CONVERSATION WITH
Maria Demertzis, Deputy Director, Bruegel

9:20 – 9:50 am CET
10:25 – 11:30 am CET

Session 1: International trade

Rethinking transatlantic trade in a changing global economy

Elizabeth Baltzan, Senior Advisor, United States Trade Representative 
Kenneth Kang, Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy, and Review, International Monetary Fund 
Rupert Schlegelmilch, Acting Deputy Director-General, DG Trade, European Commission
Anahita Thoms, Board Member, Atlantik-Bruecke and Partner, Baker & Mckenzie International 

MODERATED BY
Clete Willems, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council; Former Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economics and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, The White House 

PAPER LAUNCH: TTC, IPEF, and the Road to an Indo-Pacific Trade Deal
A New Model
by Clete Willems and Niels Graham

Session 2: Monetary policy

The international role of the euro and the dollar – Forever in the lead?

Maria Demertzis, Deputy Director, Bruegel
Andreas Dombret, Board Member, Atlantik-Bruecke; Former Member of the Executive Board, Deutsche Bundesbank
Geoffrey Okamoto, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs; Former First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
Philippa Sigl-Glöckner, Founder, Dezernat Zukunft 

MODERATED BY
Martin Mühleisen, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council; Former Chief of Staff, International Monetary Fund 

PAPER LAUNCH: The International Role of the Euro and the Dollar
Forever in the lead?
by Martin Mühleisen

11:45 am – 12:45 pm CET
1:55 – 2:00pm CET

Panel opening remarks

Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Session 3: Digital currencies

Coordination and compromise: How the US and EU can set international standards on digital assets

Candace Kelly, Chief Legal Officer, Stellar Development Foundation
Brent Neiman, Counselor to the Secretary, US Treasury
Hyun Song Shin, Economic Adviser and Head of Research, Bank for International Settlements
Evelien Witlox, Program Director, Digital Euro Project, European Central Bank

MODERATED BY
Annette Weisbach, Reporter, CNBC in Germany 

PAPER LAUNCH: Privacy in Cross-Border Digital Currency
A Transatlantic Approach
by Giulia Fanti and Nadia Pocher

2:00 – 3:00pm CET
3:10 – 3:25pm CET

Data deep dive

Trade, Sanctions, and Energy
New Public Opinion Research from Morning Consult

PRESENTATION BY
Sonnet Frisbie, Managing Director, Geopolitical Risk Analyst, EMEA
Morning Consult

Session 4: Economic statecraft

A new era in the use of sanctions and tools of statecraft

Julia Friedlander, CEO, Atlantik-Bruecke
Carla Norrlöf, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council; Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto
Daleep Singh, Former Deputy National Security Advisor, National Security Council

MODERATED BY
Frank Wiebe, Correspondent, Handelsblatt

PAPER LAUNCH: Will Economic Statecraft Threaten Western Currency Dominance?
Sanctions, Geopolitics, and the Global Monetary Order
by Carla Norrlöf

3:30 – 4:30pm CET
4:45 – 5:15pm CET

Keynote remarks

Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for Economy, EU Commission

IN CONVERSATION WITH
Annette Weisbach, Reporter, CNBC in Germany

Opening keynote remarks

Christine Lagarde

President
European Central Bank

Speakers

Keynote remarks

Paolo Gentiloni

Commissioner for Economy, European Commission

Elizabeth Baltzan

Senior Advisor, U.S. Trade Representative

Nicole Bastian

Head of Foreign Affairs Department, Handelsblatt

Ulrich Caspar

President, IHK Frankfurt am Main

Kenneth Kang

Deputy Director in the Strategy, Policy and Review Department, International Monetary Fund

Candace Kelly

Chief Legal Officer, Stellar Development Foundation

Frederick Kempe

President and CEO, Atlantic Council

Hyun Song Shin

Economic Adviser and Head of Research, Bank for International Settlement

Anahita Thoms

Partner, Baker McKenzie; Member of the Board, Atlantik-Brücke e.V

Dr. Andreas Dombret

Global Senior Advisor, Oliver Wyman; Member of the Board, Atlantik-Brücke e.V.

Sigmar Gabriel

Former Federal Foreign Minister; Former Vice-Chancellor; Chairman, Atlantik-Brücke

Dr. Carla Norrlöf

Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council; Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto

Geoffrey Okamoto

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs; Former First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund

Rupert Schlegelmilch

Acting Deputy Director-General, DG Trade, European Commission

Philippa Sigl-Glöckner

Founder, Dezernat Zukunft

Daleep Singh

Former Deputy National Security Advisor, National Security Council

Maria Demertzis

Deputy Director, Bruegel

Brent Neiman

Counselor to the Secretary, US Treasury

Clete Willems

Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council; Former Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economics and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, The White House

Moderator

Annette Weisbach

Reporter, CNBC in Germany

Julia Friedlander

CEO, Atlantik-Brücke; Nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council

Josh Lipsky

Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Evelien Witlox

Programme Manager Digital Euro, European Central Bank

Martin Mühleisen

Former Chief of Staff and Director, International Monetary Fund; Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Publications

2022 Frankfurt Forum on US-European GeoEconomics

Issue Brief Sep 27, 2022

The international role of the euro and the dollar: Forever in the lead?

By Martin Mühleisen

This paper argues that this is unlikely for the foreseeable future, in part because a larger global role for the renminbi would be inconsistent with the Chinese leadership’s current policy priorities. However, there is no room for complacency.
Digital Currencies Digital Policy
2022 Frankfurt Forum on US-European GeoEconomics

Issue Brief Sep 27, 2022

Will economic statecraft threaten western currency dominance? Sanctions, geopolitics, and the global monetary order 

By Dr. Carla Norrlöf

The return of great power rivalry is stoking renewed fears of weakening Western currency dominance. Financial sanctions are becoming the preferred economic tool for accomplishing geopolitical goals.
China Economic Sanctions
2022 Frankfurt Forum on US-European GeoEconomics

Issue Brief Sep 27, 2022

TTC, IPEF, and the road to an Indo-Pacific trade deal: A new model

By Clete R. Willems, Niels Graham

The Biden administration’s “trade policy for the middle class” is taking shape. Exemplified by the TTC and IPEF, its is “beyond-the-border” issues, such as regulatory alignment and standard setting, attempts to improve supply chain resilience, and efforts to promote high labor and environmental standards. However, to achieve its strategic goals, the administration should consider adding traditional market access components.
China Economy & Business
2022 Frankfurt Forum on US-European GeoEconomics

Issue Brief Sep 28, 2022

Privacy in cross-border digital currency: A transatlantic approach

By Giulia Fanti and Nadia Pocher

As a growing number of countries explore Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) for the domestic context, multi-country cross-border CBDCs pilots are also proliferating. Cross-border CBDCs could make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and simpler.
Digital Currencies Digital Policy

Analysis

New Atlanticist

Sep 27, 2022

From sanctions to digital currencies, here’s a new transatlantic agenda for economic coordination

By Charles Lichfield

At our Frankfurt Forum on US-EU GeoEconomics, the Council’s original research lays out a long-term strategy for economic coordination in a world reshaped by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Economy & Business European Union

Recap blogs

2022 Frankfurt Forum on US-European GeoEconomics

New Atlanticist Sep 28, 2022

ECB chief Christine Lagarde: ‘Our primary objective is price stability’

By Dan Peleschuk

Europe’s top banker shares her thoughts on the inflation crisis and much more during the Atlantic Council’s Frankfurt Forum.
Economy & Business European Union
2022 Frankfurt Forum on US-European GeoEconomics

New Atlanticist Sep 27, 2022

From sanctions to digital currencies, here’s a new transatlantic agenda for economic coordination

By Charles Lichfield

At our Frankfurt Forum on US-EU GeoEconomics, the Council’s original research lays out a long-term strategy for economic coordination in a world reshaped by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Economy & Business European Union
Full coverage

GeoEconomics Center

At the intersection of economics, finance, and foreign policy, the GeoEconomics Center is a translation hub with the goal of helping shape a better global economic future.

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Atlantik-Brücke

Atlantik-Brücke

Strengthening the exchange between politics and business, Atlantik-Brücke aims to deepen cooperation between Germany, Europe and America on all levels. 

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Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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Media partners

Handelsblatt Media Group
CNBC