CSIS-PISM Conference on

“The United States and Central Europe: Diverging or Converging Strategic Interests”

The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) New European Democracies Project and the Warsaw-based Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) will host a conference on “The United States and Central Europe: Diverging or Converging Strategic Interests.”  The conference will feature Radoslaw Sikorski, Foreign Minister of Poland; Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, CSIS Counselor and Trustee and former National Security Advisor; Philip Gordon, the Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs; and Tomas Pojar, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 8:30am to 3:30pm
CSIS, B1 Conference Level
1800 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006

Program

8.30-9.00am: Registration

9.00 - 9.15am:

Introductions

• Janusz Bugajski, CSIS
• Slawomir Debski, Polish Institute of International Affairs

9.15-11.30am:

Panel 1: U.S.-Central European Relations: Avoiding Strategic Drift

Moderator: Janusz Bugajski, CSIS

• Radek Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Poland
• Tomas Pojar, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic
• Kurt Volker, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
• Heather Conley, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs

11.30-12.00noon:

Strategic Overview

Zbigniew Brzezinski, CSIS

12.00-1.00pm:

Lunch and Keynote Address: U.S. Perspectives on Central Europe

Philip Gordon, Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs

1.15- 3.15pm:

Panel 2: Shaping an Agenda for Renewed Partnership: Common Interests in Europe and Beyond

Moderator: Slawomir Debski, Polish Institute of International Affairs

• Adam Rotfeld, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Poland
• Andrzej Olechowski, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Poland
• Kadri Liik, Director, International Center for Defense Studies, Estonia
• Stephen Flanagan, Former Special Assistant to the U.S. President

3.15-3.30pm:

Concluding Comments

• Janusz Bugajski, CSIS
• Slawomir Debski, Polish Institute of International Affairs

This inaugural conference marks the establishment of long-term institutional cooperation between CSIS and PISM.

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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1962 and headquartered in Washington, D.C.  It seeks to advance global security and prosperity by providing strategic insights and policy solutions to decision makers.

The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) was established under a 1996 law on PISM as an autonomous state institution designed to serve the state administration and Polish citizens through assistance in shaping the country’s foreign policy as well as enhancing and popularizing knowledge about international affairs.

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