The 7th Annual EU Security & Defense Washington Symposium
The Delegation of the European Union to the United States and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) invite you to the 7th edition of the annual symposium on EU Security and Defense.
Washington's flagship European security conference returns with senior U.S. and European defense leaders addressing opportunities for stronger defense policy coordination, NATO-EU cooperation, joint EU-U.S. efforts underway in Africa, and potential collective responses to Russian hybrid activity.
Please note that the Symposium will not take place at CSIS, but rather at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
PROGRAM
8:00am: Breakfast and Registration
8:20am-8:30am: Welcoming Remarks
- H.E. David O'Sullivan, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States
- Pedro Serrano, Deputy Secretary General for the Common Security and Defense Policy, European External Action Service
8:30am-9:10am: Panel I: EU and U.S. Defense Strategies: Shared or Conflicting Objectives?
Bound by shared commitment to democracy, liberty, and rule of law, Europe and the United States share common global security challenges. In the age of growing conventional and asymmetric challenges, what are the areas in which the United States and the European Union can strengthen policy coordination and enforcement? How do the U.S. National Security Strategy and EU Global Strategy position the United States and Europe to combat growing subversive challenges and strengthen transatlantic unity and solidarity?
- Thomas (Todd) H. Harvey III, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, U.S. Department of Defense
- Pedro Serrano, Deputy Secretary General for CSDP, European External Action Service
- Moderator: Jeffrey Rathke, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Europe Program, CSIS
9:10am-9:30am: Morning Keynote: Transatlantic Relations: The View from the U.S. Senate
- The Honorable Joni Ernst (R-IA), United States Senate
- Moderator: Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; Director, Europe Program, CSIS
9:30am-10:20am: Secondary Keynote: Renewed Ambition for EU Defense and What to Expect from the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO)
Due to a changing security environment on Europe’s periphery, EU member states have agreed to enhance cooperation in security and defense. The Permanent Structured Cooperation on security and defense (PESCO) aims to increase the effectiveness of individual member states in addressing regional security challenges. How will PESCO further integrate EU member state defensive capabilities? How will the European Union strengthen cooperation with other multilateral organizations to combat security challenges?
- H.E. José Alberto de Azeredo Lopes, Minister of National Defense, Portuguese Republic
- Moderator: Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; Director, Europe Program, CSIS
10:20am-10:45am: Coffee Break
10:45am-11:45am: Panel II: Framework for Stronger NATO-EU Cooperation
NATO and the European Union are not only essential partners who share common strategic goals and values, but share twenty-two member nations. Both institutions have pledged to strengthen cooperation to bolster resilience to hybrid threats, disinformation campaigns, and cyber-attacks; ensure coherence on conventional defense planning and coordination of exercises; and cooperate on operations in the Western Balkans, Afghanistan, and the maritime domain. How can NATO and the EU strengthen their cooperation on issues of mutual interest?
- Thomas W. Goffus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO, U.S. Department of Defense
- Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive Officer, European Defense Agency
- Jonatan Vseviov, Permanent Secretary, Estonian Ministry of Defense
- Moderator: Teri Schultz, Freelance Reporter, NPR and Deutsche Welle
11:45am-11:50am: Video on EU Civilian Missions and Military Operations in the Sahel
11:50am-12:50pm: Panel III: Security in North Africa and the Sahel
The EU maintains a comprehensive approach to security and development in the Sahel, including CSDP missions in Niger and Mali. As a result of the rise in political and military instability, the EU’s CSDP has prioritized economic development, military operations, and training missions to strengthen the capacities of local actors. How does the EU’s CSDP cooperate with Member states and U.S. military missions in the Sahel?
- Major General Christopher E. Craige, Director, Strategy, Engagement, and Programs, U.S. Africa Command
- Gabor Iklody, Director, Crisis Management and Planning Directorate, European External Action Service
- Ambassador Pedro Morenés, Ambassador of Spain in the United States; former Minister of Defense of Spain
- Alice Hunt Friend, Senior Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS
- Moderator: Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Senior Advisor to the President, U.S. Institute of Peace
12:50pm-1:15pm: Break for Lunch
1:15pm-2:15pm: Lunch Session: U.S., EU, and NATO Reaction to Russian Hybrid Activity
Audience polling within a simulated exercise of Russian hybrid activity in southern Europe and the Black Sea region.
- Ambassador George Maior, Ambassador of Romania to the United States
- Frank J. Cilluffo, Associate Vice President & Director, Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, George Washington University
- Moderator: Jeffrey Rathke, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Europe Program, CSIS
2:15pm: End of Symposium
This symposium is made possible by support of the European Union through the EU Policy Outreach Partnership.
