Bucharest Forum 2015 takes place between 14-16 October at critical times for the region and Europe. The event is organized by the Aspen Institute Romania and the German Marshall Fund of the United States with the support of Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ukrainian crisis continues to raise challenges for the region as regards finding renewed opportunities for cooperation as well as test the capacity of the West and existing security institutions to deliver sustainable cross-regional partnerships. Changes at the European and global level highlight the need for systemic solutions and credible answers to unprecedented challenges. At stake is not only peace and security in Europe but also the broader set of values to which are subscribed relations between NATO and EU member states. This 4th edition of the Bucharest Forum agenda includes strategic issues related to economic and financial developments at the global level, relevant also for the East – West corridor of investments and trade.
Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, European Commission VP and Commissioner for Energy will be speaking at the 4th edition of Bucharest Forum.
Maroš Šefčovič (born in 1966) is a Slovak career diplomat and since 1 November 2014 Vice President of the European Commission in charge of the Energy Union. In this capacity, he leads the “Energy Union” Project Team within the Commission which comprises of 14 commissioners. In 2014 he was elected as the Member of the European Parliament. From 2010 – 2014 he was Vice President of the European Commission in charge of Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration. In 2009-2010, he was European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. From 2004 -2009, he was the Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the European Union. As diplomat by profession he served between 1992 and 2004 in Zimbabwe and Canada and as Ambassador to Israel. He graduated from the University of Economy in Bratislava and the Moscow State Institute for Foreign Relations. He holds a degree as Doctor of Law and a PhD of European Law from the Comenius University, Faculty of Law, Bratislava. He also studied at Stanford University, USA. He has recently published a book on his first mandate as Vice-President entitled “Driving the EU forward – straight talks with Maroš Šefčovič” (John Harper Publishing, London 2014).
HE Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary General of NATO will be speaking at Bucharest Forum 2015
Ambassador Vershbow took up his position in February, 2012 after serving for three years as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In that position, he was responsible for coordinating U.S. security and defense policies relating to the nations and international organizations of Europe (including NATO), the Middle East and Africa.
From 1977 to 2008, Alexander was a career member of the United States Foreign Service. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1998-2001); to the Russian Federation (2001-2005); and to the Republic of Korea (2005-2008). He held numerous senior positions in Washington, including Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council (1994-97) and State Department Director for Soviet Union Affairs (1988-91). During his career, he was centrally involved in strengthening U.S. defense relations with allies in Europe and Asia and in transforming NATO and other European security organizations to meet post-Cold War challenges. He also was centrally involved in efforts to promote democracy and human rights in the former Soviet Union.
Alexander Vershbow is a long-time student of Russian Affairs and international relations. He received a B.A. in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University (1974) and a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Certificate of the Russian Institute from Columbia University (1976).
Full agenda of the event is here.
