Enhancing European and Transatlantic Economic Cooperation
September 17-18, 2018 | Bucharest, Romania
Day 1, 17 September, 2018
15:30 - 16:30
Registration and welcome coffee (Romexpo, Pavilion C)
17:00 - 17:15
Opening of the Business Forum (Plenary Hall)
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Mihai Daraban
President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania

H.E. Klaus Iohannis
President of Romania
17:15 - 18:15
"The 3SI in a challenging international context" (Plenary Hall)
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<p style="margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:8.0pt; margin-left:0in; text-align:justify"><i>The development of Central and South-Est Europe’s regional energy, digital and transport infrastructure and connectivity is key to completing the vision of an integrated, cohesive and undivided European Union. By contributing to Euro-Atlantic prosperity and economic resilience, the 3SI will better enable Europe to address complex challenges emanating from its immediate region and beyond, as well as from an accelerating global geopolitical realignment economic volatility. These evolutions question the values we stand for and affect our overall security and prosperity. The 3SI comes as an effective tool to reinforce the EU, the transatlantic link and the ability of our community of democracies to effectively respond to the challenges and opportunities of this age</i></p>

H.E. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
President of the Republic of Croatia

James Logan Jones
Interim Chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United States and former US Commander of US European Command

Corina Crețu
European Commissioner for Regional Development

H.E. Alexander Van der Bellen
Federal President of the Republic of Austria

H.E. Andrzej Sebastian Duda
President of the Republic of Poland

H.E. Klaus Iohannis
President of Romania
18:15 - 18:30
Signing of a Letter of Intent in relation to the Three Seas Fund (Plenary Hall)
Signing of the Joint Statement on the creation of the Network of the Chambers of Commerce of the 3SI (Plenary Hall)
18:30 - 20:30
Cocktail
Day 2, 18 September, 2018
08:30 - 09:30
Registration of participants (Romexpo, Pavilion C)
09:30 - 10:45
Digital Interconnections in the 3SI region (Room 3)
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<p style="margin-top:5.0pt; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:5.0pt; margin-left:0in; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Digital connectivity is an increasingly important – and very dynamic – driver of economic growth.</i><i> Digital technologies enhance efficiency, reduce costs and enable more efficient engagement of customers and business partners.</i></p>
<p style="margin-top:5.0pt; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:5.0pt; margin-left:0in; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Currently, 9 out of 12 countries in the 3SI area rank below the EU average on the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) that tracks the evolution of EU member states in digital competitiveness. Therefore, digitization is a must for European businesses and economies as a whole and the Three Seas region must improve its digital performance and close the gap between the most and the least digital countries. </i></p>
<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>How can telecom infrastructure contribute to the expansion of innovative businesses and to the development of the digital economy in the Central and South-East Europe and facilitate the region’s integration into the wider European market? What are priority investments in the region based on the European Commission’s Strategy for the Digital Single Market? How can 3SI participating states leapfrog and adopt a last-generation telecom and digital infrastructure? </i><i>How can the urban-rural digital divide be reduced in the region? What measures must be taken to make the digital economy and society more inclusive? </i><i>What political and programmatic steps need to be taken to implement the priority digitization/telecom infrastructure projects? </i></p>

Moderator: Sorin Ducaru
Chairman of the Scientific Council of the New Strategy Center, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges

Gunnar Muent
Deputy Director General of the Projects Directorate and Director of the Safeguards and Quality Management Department within the Projects Directorate, European Investment Bank

Iulian Stanciu
CEO eMAG

Florin Talpeș
CEO, BitDefender, Romania

Izabela Albrycht
Chair, The Kosciuszko Institute, The European Cybersecurity Forum – CYBERSEC Organising Committee, Poland

Pearse O'Donohue
Director, Future Networks, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
Energy Interconnections in the 3SI region (Room 2)
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<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>3SI objectives include integrating the oil, gas and electricity networks of the region’s countries, deepening their linkages to those of a wider Europe, and ensuring the region’s access to global energy markets. These are critical to the completion of the European Energy Union. They will prompt Europe-wide economic growth and strengthen Europe’s energy security.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>What must be done to further develop Central and South-East Europe’s energy infrastructure? What projects stand among this region’s most important regional energy connectors? What must be done to politically and programmatically drive forward these energy infrastructure projects in the 3SI region?</i></p>
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Moderator: Richard Morningstar
Founding Director and Chairman, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council of the United States

Justin Jackson
Upstream Commercial International Manager, ExxonMobil Gas and Power Company

Răzvan Nicolescu
Former Minister for Energy – Romania, senior consultant, Deloitte Romania

Barbara Dorić
Ph.D, Managing Director of LNG Croatia LLC

Catharina Sikow-Magny
Head for Networks & Regional Initiatives, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
Transport Interconnections in the 3SI region (Room 1)
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<p style="margin-bottom:10.0pt; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>The development of modern transport infrastructure is critical for economic growth and regional, European and international trade. It facilitates efficient movement of goods and services and access to global value chains. Effective transportation infrastructure will contribute to the levelling out of regional imbalances within the 3SI region and across Europe.</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:10.0pt; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Developing Central and </i><i>South-East</i><i> Europe’s regional transportation infrastructure is a priority. These </i><i>cross border transport projects are more than simple transport routes. They are genuine economic corridors that promise to generate countless commercial initiatives. They are investment opportunities that will benefit the entire European Union. They are synchronized with existing transport projects launched within the EU connectivity cooperation frameworks. </i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:6.0pt; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>What progress has been made and what needs to be done to generate the political and financial support necessary to drive forward the 3SI priority transport projects?</i></p>
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Moderator: Sorin Bușe
Former Minister of Transport, Romania

Mikołaj Wild
Secretary of State, Ministry of Infrastructure, and Government Plenipotentiary for the Central Communication Port, Poland

Ionel Minea
Secretary of State, Ministry of Transport, Romania

Roland Werner
Head of Government Affairs & Policy, DACH & CEE

Charlotte Ruhe
Managing Director, EBRD

Maja Bakran Marcich
Deputy Director General, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
10:45 - 11:00
Coffee Break
11:00 - 13:30
B2B&B2G meetings Part 1 (focus on the three priority fields - energy, transport and digital)
The potential for cooperation with neighbouring countries of the 3SI region (Plenary Hall)
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<p><i>To complete the vision of a Europe whole and free, the 3SI must look regionally beyond the EU countries and address the infrastructural integration of Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. How can and should the 3SI address these regions so as to contribute to the implementation/substantiation of EU’s relevant policies and complement ongoing initiatives focused on the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries? How can we maximize the 3SI’s potential to enhance the attractiveness of the European and Euro-Atlantic perspectives for the countries in these regions?</i></p>

Zoran Shapuric
Minister responsible for regulations’ improvement of the investment climate for local businesses, Republic of Macedonia

Moderator: David Koranyi
Senior Fellow, Energy Diplomacy, Atlantic Council of the United States

George Sharvashidze
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia

Nikola Vujović
State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy, Montenegro

Dorina Cinari
Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Albania

Chiril Gaburici
Minister of Economy and Infrastructure, Republic of Moldova

Ana Birchall
Vice-Prime-Minister for Romania's Strategic Partnerships' Implementation
Strategic implications of the 3SI in the fields of transport, energy and digitalisation (Room 1)
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<p style="margin-bottom:6.0pt; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Although the 3SI is an economic oriented initiative, its impact in the region and within EU as a whole is no doubt strategic. </i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:6.0pt; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Beyond civil and economic use, current and new transportation corridors must be robust enough to ensure enhanced military mobility as well.</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:6.0pt; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>In the field of energy, there is a need to create favorable conditions for a truly integrated energy market, a strong component of the EU Energy Union, free from negative external political influences.</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:6.0pt; text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>In the digital field, the economic and infrastructural development of a new digital economy will ultimately lead to the strengthening of the defensive capabilities in the field of cybersecurity and smart defense.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>How does transportation, energy, and digital infrastructure shape not only the economic growth, but also the resilience of the 3SI region and its standing within Europe and within the global economy? What are the strategic advantages and implications of these interconnections?</i></p>

Christian Rupp
Federal Executive Secretary for the eGovernment initiative of the Austrian Government

Moderator: Damon Wilson
Executive Vice President for Programs and Strategy, Atlantic Council of the United States

Iulian Fota
Romanian analyst and security expert, former Presidential Advisor for National Security

Leszek Jesień
Ph. D, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Central Europe Energy Partners, AISBL, Belgium

Edward Lucas
Senior Vice President, Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
The regional opportunities of cooperation in the defence industry (Room 2)
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<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Panel developed with the support of the </i><i>American-Romanian Business Council</i><i> </i><i>(AMRO) and the American-Central European Business Association (ACEBA).</i></p>
<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Three Seas defense industries face a world of increasing geopolitical assertiveness featuring ever more complex symmetrical and asymmetrical threats, from both state and non-state actors. These industries constitute a significant defense capacity, including a mix of established and emergent defense industries. How can the 3SI defense industry most effectively serve the interests of the transatlantic community and prosper? Increasing defensive capabilities is not just about buying the latest technology, but also about having a profound understanding about how defensive systems work together and identifying gaps in the strategic approaches.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>The panel will explore current and emergent military requirements that should drive defense industrial activity in the region. It will discuss how to enhance the defense technology industrial base in the Three Seas region, how to foster greater cooperation with U.S. and other European defense industries, and how to eliminate obstacles to that cooperation. The panel will explore 3SI defense procurement and research & development opportunities relevant to multinational defense industrial collaboration, as well as the contribution of the latter to the overall development of the 3SI region.</i></p>

Ian Steff
Assistant Secretary for International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, USA

Moderator: Eric Stewart
President, American-Romanian Business Council (AMRO), United States

Didier Philippe
Vice President MBDA

Steve Mathias
Vice President for Global Military Business Development, Bell Helicopter

Giedrimas Jeglinskas
Vice-minister of national defense of the Republic of Lithuania

Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă
Chief of General Staff, Romanian Army
12:15 - 13:30
Shared values. Democratization and Rule of Law as fundamental conditions for sustainable economic growth (Room 2)
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<p><i>Democratic principles and the rule of law are foundation blocks of the western community of nations. They are critical to the development of resilient and efficient economies. The business environment needs predictable, stable countries, committed to maintaining and strengthening the rule of law and an independent justice system. How does the current state of the rule of law and democracy in Central and South-East Europe influence the region’s sustainable economic future?</i></p>

Moderator: Eric Stewart
President, American-Romanian Business Council (AMRO), United States

Moderator: Damon Wilson
Executive Vice President for Programs and Strategy, Atlantic Council of the United States

Zbigniew Krysiak
Warsaw School of Economics and Director of the Schuman’s Thought Institute, Poland

Andrei Țărnea
Romanian foreign policy analyst and expert, Member of Aspen Institute, Romania

Andreana Baeva Motusic
President, European Business Association Zagreb, Member of the Governing Board of IDEMO Institute for Democracy, Republic of Croatia
The contribution of the 3SI to strengthening the transatlantic link (Room 3)
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<p><i>A Europe that is economically robust, socially cohesive and politically united will reinforce the power of the Transatlantic Community. One of the core objectives of the Three Seas Initiative is to become a key contribution of Central and South-East Europe to the strengthening of the transatlantic link. An increased US economic presence in Central and South-East Europe would provide a catalyst for strengthened cooperation in the region and would bring added value to the EU-US strategic partnership. How can 3SI best contribute to transatlantic economic growth, security, solidarity and unity?</i></p>

Ian Steff
Assistant Secretary for International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, USA

Moderator: Valentin Naumescu
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of European Studies, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca

Moderator: Ian Brzezinski
Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Atlantic Council of the United States

Vygaudas Usackas
Director of the Institute of Europe KTU, Lithuania

Michal Baranowski
Director, Warsaw Office, The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Poland

Ratislav Káčer
Chairman of the Board, GlobSec, Slovakia
The 3SI as catalyst towards the cohesion and convergence of the EU as a whole. The Three Seas Investment Fund (Room 1)
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<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Generating stronger economic growth in </i><i>Central and South-East Europe is the main objective of the 3SI.</i><i> Its achievement </i><i>would bridge the development gap within the EU, that too often is leading to political tensions, and thereby strengthen the Union’s cohesion and resilience</i>. <i>How can the 3SI complement and reinforce the EU’s development of a single European economy? How can the fact that the 3SI region includes the fastest growing economies in the EU be used to this purpose? How can the priority projects of the 3SI be more effectively promoted within the European Union?</i></p>
<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>The creation of an Investment Fund of the Three Seas Initiative could be a concrete instrument to generate co-financing for 3SI priority projects. </i></p>

Moderator: Dan Cărbunaru
Director, CaleaEuropeană.ro

Tsvetan Simeonov
President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Eugen Teodorovici
Minister of Public Finance, Romania

Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka
President of the Management Board, Polish Development Bank

Lazăr Comănescu
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, member of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center, Romania

Corina Crețu
European Commissioner for Regional Development
13:30 - 14:30
Lunch
14:30 - 16:00
High potential drivers of growth and innovation in the 3SI region (Plenary Hall)
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<p><i>How can the governments of the Three Seas region contribute to an environment that attracts and generates technological innovation? What regional policies and infrastructure are needed to activate the region’s potential to serve as a driver of entrepreneurship and as an incubator and accelerator of 21<sup>st</sup> century business and startups? How can the region become an innovation leader in priority fields such as artificial intelligence, block chain, cybersecurity, e-health and digital governance? How can 3SI participating states gain a stronger voice in the EU by supporting digitization and innovation in the region? How can 3SI participating states develop and consolidate a network of Digital Innovation Hubs? </i></p>

Angelika Jarosławska
Coordinator of the Programme Poland 3.0 - National Programme of Poland, based on a cluster policy

Moderator: Dan Nechita
Co-founder SmartEverythingEverywhere

Vargha Moayed
Chief Strategy Officer, UiPath

Marta Poślad
Head of Public Policy & Government Relations in Central and Eastern Europe, Google

Marek Kłoczko
Vice-President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce

Ştefan-Radu Oprea
Minister of Business Environment, Commerce and Entrepreneurship of Romania, Senator in the Romanian Parliament, Vice-president of the Commission for Economic, Industries and Service
16:00 - 16:15
Coffee Break
16:15 - 17:30
B2B&B2G meetings (focus on SMEs, young entrepreneurship, new technologies, business incubators)
The future of the 3SI and the potential for cooperation with other stakeholders outside the geographic scope of the 3SI (Room 1)
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<p><i>As an initiative driven by economic need and opportunity, the 3SI is a means to foster economic collaboration and connectivity with regions beyond Central and South-East Europe. What are the potentials of international collaboration in the 3SI infrastructure projects? What factors will international energy, telecom and transport, and investment firms use to assess the profitability and risks of 3SI projects? How can 3SI more effectively attract investment from beyond its participating countries? </i></p>

Pál Ságvári
Ambassador-at-large for Energy Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary

James Logan Jones
Interim Chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United States and former US Commander of US European Command

Bořivoj Minář
Vice President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce

Igor Munteanu
Chairman, Administrative Board of IDIS (Institute for Development and Social Initiatives)

Iulian Chifu
President, Centre for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning, former Presidential Advisor

Keynote speaker: Teodor Meleșcanu
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania
Making the difference. 3SI and B9: synergic complementarity (Room 2)
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<p><i>The Bucharest 9 is a vehicle used to advance, through coordinated action, Central and South-East Europe’s security and defense interests and the role of the states of the region within NATO. Key B9 objectives include reinforcing NATO’s Eastern Flank, and the European Union’s security dimension. 3SI is a catalyst for the region’s economic development, through higher infrastructural interconnectivity. How can the two initiatives complement and reinforce each other, on their specific respective tracks, in order to reach their </i><i>common goal of enhancing </i><i>Central and South-East Europe´s </i><i>security and prosperity, thereby strengthening both the EU and NATO?</i></p>

Moderator: Alina Inayeh
Director, Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation, German Marshall Fund Romania

Raimundas Lopata
Professor at the Institute for International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University

Dan Fried
Ambassador, Distinguished Fellow, Future Europe Initiative and Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council of the United States

Sławomir Dębski
Director, Polish Institute of International Affairs

Ștefan Tinca
Director General for Political Affairs, Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Increasing the role of civil society in the 3SI region and beyond (Room 3)
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<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>Civil society organizations play an increasingly important role in fostering regional dialogue and cooperation. Their activities facilitate collaboration at the bilateral level and across regions, and even across Europe. Civil society has an enormous potential to add to the momentum, impact, and scope of the Three Seas Initiative.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:justify; margin:0in 0in 8pt"><i>This session will highlight the synergies of 3SI with current international and regional efforts to promote sustainable development; explore how civil society can identify and leverage cross border complementarities to foster support for and increase the effectiveness of 3SI projects; and, discuss how civil society can help extend the integrative reach of 3SI beyond its current geographic scope. The topics addressed will be framed also from the perspective of the upcoming Romanian Presidency of the European Union Council (1<sup>st</sup> Semester 2019).</i></p>

Moderator: Ștefan Cibian
President of the Romanian NGDO Platform – FOND

Remus Pricopie
Rector, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA)

Sergiy Gerasymchuk
Deputy Head of Board, Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism"

Natalia Budescu
Executive Director, Association of Cross-border Cooperation "Lower Danube Euroregion"

Gordan Bosanac
President of the Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity (CROSOL), Croatia
17:30 - 18:00
Conclusions (Plenary Hall)
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Rick Perry
Secretary of Energy of the Unites States

James Logan Jones
Interim Chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United States and former US Commander of US European Command

Moderator: Ian Brzezinski
Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Atlantic Council of the United States

Ana Birchall
Vice-Prime-Minister for Romania's Strategic Partnerships' Implementation