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European Union – Russia: What to do?

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Elisabeth-Herz-Kremenak-Saal
Plenary /
in englischer Sprache

The annexation of Crimea, the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the war in Syria, the Salisbury attacks: this has all profoundly affected what was once a ‘strategic partnership’. But Russia still remains a major actor with whom the EU needs to engage in many areas. How can we provide future frameworks for this challenging relationship?

Ambassador, European Union to the Russian Federation; Head of Delegation, Moscow
Director General, RIAC - Russian International Affairs Council, Moscow
Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR - European Council on Foreign Relations, London
Head of Strategic Assessment Section, Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
Chair, International Advisory Board, European Forum Alpbach, Vienna Chair

Dr. Markus EDERER

Ambassador, European Union to the Russian Federation; Head of Delegation, Moscow

 Markus Ederer was born in Germany in 1957. He graduated in Law at the University of Passau. Since October 2017, Markus Ederer has been Ambassador-Head of Delegation to the Russian Federation. Between January 2014 until October 2017, he held the post of State Secretary at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From January 2011 to January 2014, Markus Ederer was in Beijing as Ambassador-Head of Delegation of the European Union's Delegation to China and Mongolia. From December 2005 to December 2010, he was the Head of Policy Planning in the German Federal Foreign Office. His career in the German Foreign Office started in 1990 when he was the Personal Secretary to Minister of State Helmut Schäfer. He then went on to Moscow where he served in the Economic Department of the German Embassy. In 1993 he returned to Germany where he served in the Press Department and later became Deputy Spokesman for the German Foreign Office. In 1999 he moved to Brussels where he took up the post of Head of Cabinet of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. In April 2002 he became the Director of Political/Economic Assessment in the Federal Intelligence Service in Germany. Markus Ederer holds a Doctoral Degree in International Law (University of Passau) and a Master of Laws degree (University of Miami).

Andrey KORTUNOV

Director General, RIAC - Russian International Affairs Council, Moscow

 Graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and postgraduate studies at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, USSR Academy of Sciences. Holds a Ph.D. degree in History. Was Deputy Director of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies. Founder and first president of the Moscow Public Science Foundation. Academic focus: international relations, foreign and domestic policy of Russia and Russian-American relations.

Kadri LIIK

Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR - European Council on Foreign Relations, London

 Before joining ECFR in October 2012, Kadri was the director of the International Centre for Defence Studies in Estonia from 2006 until 2011, where she also worked as a senior researcher and director of the Centre’s Lennart Meri Conference. Throughout the 1990s, Kadri worked as a Moscow correspondent for several Estonian daily papers. In 2002, she became the foreign news editor at Postimees. In 2004, she left to become editor-in-chief at the monthly foreign affairs magazine, Diplomaatia.

Sergey UTKIN

Head of Strategic Assessment Section, Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

 Sergey Utkin since 2016 heads Strategic Assessment Section at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences. From 2016 until June 2018 he also headed Foreign and Security Policy Department at the Moscow-based Centre for Strategic Research. He holds a PhD in political science (international relations), which he received at IMEMO in 2006. His research is focused on foreign and security policy of the EU, the EU’s relations with Russia and the US, Russia’s foreign policy in the Euro-Atlantic area.

Dr. Thomas MAYR-HARTING

Chair, International Advisory Board, European Forum Alpbach, Vienna

1977 Law Studies in Vienna (Dr. iur.)
1977-1978 Postgraduate-Studies, College of Europe, Bruges
1978 Diploma of The Hague Academy of International Law, The Hague
1979 Joined the Austrian Diplomatic Service
1982-1986 Austrian Mission to the European Communities, Brussels
1986-1990 Austrian Embassy, Moscow
1991-1993 Private Office of the Austrian Foreign Minister, Vienna
1993-1995 Deputy Head of Cabinet of Foreign Ministers Mock and Schüssel, Vienna
1995-1999 Director for Security Policy and Policy Planning, Austrian Foreign Ministry, Vienna
1996-1999 Deputy Political Director, Austrian Foreign Ministry, Vienna
1999-2003 Ambassador of Austria to Belgium and Head of the Austrian Mission to NATO, Brussels
2002-2004 Special Representative of the Austrian Foreign Minister for the Western Balkans
2003-2004 Representative of the Federal Chancellor of Austria in the Commission on the Reform of the Austrian Armed Forces, Vienna
2003-2008 Political Director (Director General for Political Affairs) of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, Vienna
2008-2011 Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, New York
2009-2010 Also represented Austria on the United Nations Security Council, New York (President of the Security Council in November 2009)
2011 Vice-President of the 66th General Assembly of the UN, New York
2011-2015 Ambassador, (Head of the Delegation) of the European Union to the United Nations, New York
since 2015 Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia, European External Action Service, Brussels
 Visiting Professor, College of Europe, Bruges and Natolin

Political Symposium

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Genre : all

25.08.2018

11:30 - 14:30My Europe – My StoryPartner
15:00 - 16:30OpeningPlenary
17:00 - 18:30New perspectives on EU enlargementPlenary
19:30 - 21:30Drink receptionSocial

26.08.2018

06:30 - 07:30DER STANDARD Morning BriefingPlenary
06:30 - 07:30POLITICO Morning BriefingPlenary
07:00 - 10:00Alpbach Hikes: Hiking with pioneers – Mindfulness in educationPartner
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 01: Whoever has the money has the power? The future financing of the EUBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 02: EU-Russia relations: Attempting a cool-headed analysisBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 03: Citizens don’t bite: Experiences and learnings from successful participation projects in EuropeBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 04: European security and the Mediterranean: A simulationBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 05: A world without nukes? The impact of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear WeaponsBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 06: Women and youth empowerment: The Sustainable Development Goals in practiceBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 07: Democracies under pressure: Civil society and populismBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 08: Implementing the SDGs: The challenges countries face and the solutions they offerBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 09: European security in the age of hybrid threats: Rethinking military and civilian cooperation?Breakout
13:00 - 14:15Sovereignty in the EU: Who decides?Plenary
15:00 - 16:15Democracies under pressurePlenary
16:30 - 18:30Green Finance: Private capital against climate changePartner
16:30 - 18:30Lessons from the best: What we can learn from Europe’s most sustainable regionsPartner
16:45 - 18:15The subsidiarity principle under scrutinyPlenary
18:00 - 20:00European-Israeli DinnerSocial
18:15 - 19:00POLITICO Happy HourSocial

27.08.2018

06:30 - 07:30DER STANDARD Morning BriefingPlenary
06:30 - 07:30POLITICO Morning BriefingPlenary
07:00 - 10:00Alpbach Hikes: Hiking with pioneers – Mindfulness in politicsPartner
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 10: Living the Swiss militia principle: Ensuring resilience through involvementBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 11: Israel: Can democracy exist without peace?Breakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 12: Defending democracy in the digital age: From theory to practiceBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 13: The end of oil: Global systems in transitionBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 14: Are you acting or reacting? Countering climate change through new partnershipsBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 15: Culture and identity: What level of adaptation is required for successful integration?Breakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 16: Promoting sustainable developmentBreakout
08:00 - 10:30Breakout Session 17: Democracies under pressure: The media and populismBreakout
11:00 - 12:45From grey to green: Green infrastructure as a way out of the biodiversity crisisPartner
12:30 - 13:45Global power shifts: Implications for Europe and AsiaPlenary
14:15 - 15:45European Union – Russia: What to do?Plenary
16:15 - 17:15The future of the EU: Priorities of the Austrian EU Council PresidencyPlenary

28.08.2018

07:00 - 10:00Alpbach Hikes: Hiking with pioneers – Mindfulness in businessPartner
07:30 - 08:30The rule of law under scrutinyPlenary
09:00 - 10:30Reconciling (bio)diversity protection and efforts to mitigate climate changePlenary