7-8 November, Lviv

Ukrainian
Central
European
Forum 2023

The discussion platform bringing together prominent thinkers and pundits from all over the region to spot common challenges and craft common visions for a prosperous Central European future.

UCEF Position Papers

FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY AND TRANSPARENCY

Once again for Central Europe

The Russian full-scale attack on Ukraine became a crush-test for the numerous forecasts, theories and concepts that were aiming at explaining regional context, driving forces of reforms within the region as well as regional identity attributes. People-to-people contacts, solidarity and common values, common perception of threats and resilience became more than theoretical constructs and were approbated on ground.

ARSENALS AND
ALLIANCES

Unprecedented Focus on CEE in the Face of Adversity

Paradoxically, the Russian war against Ukraine alongside the emerging threat has also opened a window of opportunity for the region of Central and Eastern Europe. Never since the end of the Cold War, had the region been so much in the focus of global attention.

10

sessions

100+

Participants

14

countries

Opening Session: On the Eve of Opening Accession Talks

EU Enlargement: Obstacles, Lessons Learned, Achievement

Trade Solidarity and Market Integration in the Time of War 

The civil society opinion on Ukraine’s application for EU membership – an EaP Index 2023 and EaP Civic Tracker 

The Development of Regional Military–Industrial Cooperation as an Element of Regional Resilience 

Speakers/Day 1

Olena BORDILOVSKA

Expert on South-East Asia (UA)

Olga VOROZHBYT

Journalist at “Ukrainsky Tyzhden” journal (UA) (TBC)

Valentin NICOLESCU

Professor of the Diplomatic Academy of Romania (RO)

Agenda/Day 1

10:00 - 10:30

Registration. Welcome coffee

10:30-11:45

Opening Session: On the Eve of Opening Accession Talks?

• Hennadiy MAKSAK, Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)
• Oleksandr SUSHKO, Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation (UA)
• H.E. Alexandru Victor MICULA, Ambassador of Romania to Ukraine (RO)
• H.E. Valeriu CHIVERI, Ambassador of Moldova to Ukraine (MD)
• Felix HETT, Resident Representative for Ukraine of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (DE)

11:45-12:15

Coffee break

12:15-13:30

EU Enlargement: Obstacles, Lessons Learned, Achievement

Moderator:

Hennadiy MAKSAK, Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Speakers:

• Jakub OLCHOWSKI, Head Of Department of Institute of Central Europe (PL)
• Dmytro SHERENGOVSKYY, Vice-Rector for Outreach and Social Engagement of the UCU (UA)
• Sergiu OSTAF, Director of the Resource Center for Human Rights (MD)

13:30-14:30

Lunch break

14:30-15:30

The civil society opinion on Ukraine’s application for EU membership – an EaP Index 2023 and EaP Civic Tracker

Moderator:

Kerry LONGHURST, Jean Monnet Professor at Collegium Civitas and a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe, Consultant Executive Editor EaP Index 2023 (UK/PL)

Speakers:

• Dmytro SHULGA, Program Director of the International Renaissance Foundation (UA)
• Sergiy GERASYMCHUK, Deputy Executive Director, Regional Initiatives and Neighborhood Director, Ukrainian Prism, EaP Index expert and Ukraine country author (UA)

15:30-16:00 

Coffee break

16:00-17:15

The Development of Regional Military–Industrial Cooperation as an Element of Regional Resilience

Moderator:

Mykhailo SAMUS, Director at The New Geopolitics Research Network (UA)

Speakers:

• Sergiy BOIEV, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries (video address) (UA) (TBC)
• Andras RACZ, Senior Research Fellow at German Council on Foreign Relations (HU/DE)
• Attila DEMKÓ, Head of the Center for Geopolitics (HU)
• Matej KANDRIK, Chief Executive Director, Adapt Institute (SK)

17:15-17:30

Break

17:30-19:00 

Global South – the Potential of CEE in Promoting Regional and Ukrainian Interests/Joining Forces to Reach Global South

in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Moderator:

Oleksandr KRAIEV, Americas Program Director of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)

Speakers:

• Omar ASHOUR, Professor of Security & Military Studies, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (QA)/University of Exeter (UK)
• Lukas IVANAUSKAS, Policy analyst at OSMOS (LT)
• Valentin NICOLESCU, Professor of the Diplomatic Academy of Romania (RO)
• Olena BORDILOVSKA, Expert on South-East Asia (UA)
• Olga VOROZHBYT, Journalist at “Ukrainsky Tyzhden” journal (UA) (TBC)

Speakers/Day 2

Agenda/Day 2

9:00-10:30

Ukrainians Abroad: Integration or Repatriation?

Moderator: 

Svyatoslav KHOMENKO, journalist at BBC-Ukraine

Speakers:

• Lukasz ADAMSKI, Deputy Director of the Mieroszewski Centre (PL) 
• Martin ROZUMEK, Consortium of organisations working with migrants (CZ) 
• Miroslava MITTELMANNOVÁ, NGO Human Rights League (SK)

10:30-11:00

Coffee break

11:00-12:30

Trade Solidarity and Market Integration in the Time of War

Moderator: 

Michal LEBDUŠKA, Project Coordinator and AMO Research Fellow (CZ)

Speakers:

• Peter CAJKA, Professor at University of Matej Bel in Banska Bystrica (SK)
• Anna LIUBYMA, Head of International Department in Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UA)

12:30-13:30

Lunch break

13:30-15:00

Communication Action between Ukraine and CEE to set Political Priorities of the EU

in partnership Visegrad Insight

Moderator: 

Wojciech PRZYBYLSKI, Editor-in-Chief of Visegrad Insight and President of the Res Publica Foundation (PL)

Speakers:

• Ewa MONCURE, Former Spokesperson of FRONTEX (PL)
• Vitaliy PORTNIKOV,  journalist at Espreso TV (UA)
• Alexander DULEBA, Senior Fellow at the Research Centre of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA) (SK) 

15:00-15:30 

Coffee break

15:30-17:00

Belarus: an Integral Part of an Imminent Threat to CEE – Is Any Strategy in Place?

in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Moderator:

Dmytro SHULGA, Program Director of the International Renaissance Foundation (UA)

Speakers:

• Pavlo RAD, Expert at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” (UA)
• Julia KAZDOBINA, Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies (UA)
• Valery KAVALEUSKI, Representative for Foreign Affairs/Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet (BY)
• Andrei KAZAKEVICH, Director of Institute of Political Studies “The Political Sphere” (BY)
  

17:00-17:15

Break

17:15-18:15 

Upgrading EU's integration capacity: How to organise Ukrainian EU accession?

Moderator:

Michal MATLAK, Managing editor of the Review of Democracy and fellow at the CEU Democracy Institute (HU)

Speakers:

• Laszlo BRUSZT, Director of CEU Democracy Institute (HU)
• Martin KRYGIER, Professor of University of New South Wales, Sydney (AU)
• Veronica ANGHEL, Professor of Johns Hopkins University, Bologna and European University, Florence (IT)
• Renata UITZ, Professor of Royal Holloway University London (UK)
• Stefan AUER, Professor of the University of Hong Kong (HK)

18:15-18:30

Closing Remarks

19:30

GALA-DINNER

How it was last year/ UCEF 2022

Organizers

Ukrainian Central European Forum is organized by the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism, in partnership with the International Renaissance Foundation within the EU-funded "European Renaissance of Ukraine" Project. The Forum enjoys the support of the International Visegrad Fund and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Representation in Ukraine.

Partners

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