As a research consultant and conflict analyst, I have been invited to attend the future-of-Europe conference (https://futureu.europa.eu) on the ‘EU and its Eastern Neighbourhood’ at The Hague Humanity Hub (www.humanityhub.net) on 23 November 2021, co-organised by The Hague City Council and LINKS Europe (www.links-europe.eu). I attended the 2nd and 3rd sessions, and the after-event ‘Meet the Ukrainians’.
The following text is reproduced from the pdf-document sent to the invited attendees.
Conversations on the future of Europe in the World
The EU and its Eastern Neighbourhood
The Maple Room, The Hague Humanity Hub (City Centre), 09:30-16:30
Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Programme
09:00-09:30: Coffee and Registration
09:30: Session 1: The EU and the process of reform and renewal in the Eastern Neighbourhood: Six countries, six nuances, and a giant elephant in the room.
Chair: Dr Dennis Sammut, Director, LINKS Europe Welcome:
– Wim Jansen, Director of International Affairs, The City of The Hague
– Jill Wilkinson, Managing Director, The Hague Humanity Hub
Opening Remarks:
– Didier Herbert, Head of the Representation of the European Commission to the Netherlands
– Jaap Frederiks, Special Representative for Europe and the Eastern Partnership, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands
Keynote speaker: HE Ambassador Vsevolod Chentsov, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union
Speakers:
– Professor Dr Antoaneta Dimitrova, Professor of Comparative Governance, Leiden University
– Harry Hummel, Senior Policy Advisor, Netherlands Helsinki Committee
Discussion
11:45: Lunch break
12:15: Session 2: The EU and conflicts in the Eastern Neighbourhood
Chair: Alexander Hug, Head of Mission, Iraq, International Commission on Missing Persons; Former Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
Remarks: Ambassador Mika-Markus Leinonen, EU Liaison Officer to The Hague, The European External Action Service
Keynote Speaker: Tony van der Togt, Senior Associate Fellow, Russia and Eastern Europe Centre, Clingendael Institute Speakers:
– HE Ambassador David Solomonia, Ambassador of Georgia to the Netherlands
– Dr Anar Ahmadov, Associate Professor, Leiden University
– Alexander Petrosyan, Brussels-based independent analyst, focusing on the South Caucasus region and Eastern Europe
Discussion
14:15: Coffee break
14:30: Session 3: The EU and the Rule of Law in the Eastern Neighbourhood
Chair: Ambassador Robert Serry, Chairman, UPEACE Centre, The Hague; the Former Dutch Ambassador to the Ukraine
Keynote Speaker: Mrs Lydia Izovitova, President, The Ukraine National Bar Association (UNBA)
Speakers:
– Brian Mefford, Founder and Director, Wooden Horse Strategies, LLC; Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
– Ivan Grechkivsky, Chair, International Relations Committee, UNBA; Managing Partner, Grechkivsky Law Offices
– Lino Brosius, Senior Programme Manager, Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC)
– Valentyn Gvozdiy, Vice President, UNBA; Managing Partner, GOLAW
Discussion
The conference will finish at 16:15
Meet the Neighbours – Meet the Ukrainians
23 November 2021, 16:30-18:00 at Humanity Hub City Centre Café
Participants to the conference are cordially invited to a networking event in the series “Meet the Neighbours” organised by LINKS Europe. The event, “Meet the Ukrainians” will be co-hosted with the Embassy of Ukraine in The Netherlands and theUkrainian National Bar Association. If you would like to come and haven’t already registered – independently or as part of your conference registration – please register here.
All activities on 23 November will be held under strict covid-19 guidelines – this means that a proof of vaccination, recovery, or recent (<24hrs) official test is required for entry. There will be no exceptions