Please join the European Union Delegation to the United States and CSIS for the tenth annual EU Defense Washington Forum, an annual symposium dedicated to strengthening EU-U.S. cooperation on security and defense.
The Biden administration’s Interim National Security Guidance is clear on the priority Washington places on working with allies and partners. The strategy promises to “reinvigorate and modernize” alliances and partnerships, which the administration considers “America’s greatest strategic asset,” in order to advance our common interests and uphold our shared values. Consistent and pragmatic transatlantic cooperation on security issues is essential to realizing this goal. The EU’s blueprint for cooperation with the new U.S. administration, “A New Transatlantic Agenda for Global Change,” also prominently calls for further strengthening—and leveraging—our joint commitment to transatlantic and international security.
This year’s forum will bring together leading stakeholders and experts from the transatlantic security and defense communities to focus on developing a shared analysis of the threat environment and of the capabilities required to improve our collective and individual response.
Defense 2030: Transatlantic Security and Strategic Competition
9:00 – 9:10am Welcome Remarks
9:10 – 9:15am Keynote Address: Global threats – The View from Europe
In this keynote address, the European Union’s chief diplomat, High Representative Josep Borrell, will share his views on the EU’s strategic outlook, assessment of global threats, and cooperation with the United States.
Speaker:
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
9:15 – 9:30am Keynote Conversation: Global Threats – The View from the United States
In this keynote conversation, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer will sit down with Heather Conley, Director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS, for a moderated discussion on the global threat environment.
Speaker:
Jonathan Finer, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor
Moderator:
Heather A. Conley, CSIS
9:35 – 10:20am Panel 1: Russia and Hybrid Challenges
This panel will consider the nature of the Russian challenge beyond the conventional and kinetic, from cyber threats to disinformation to corruption and illicit finance. How can the United States and European Union work together to bolster the resilience of their societies, networks, and infrastructure in order to address threats below the threshold of armed conflict?
Speakers:
Teija Tiilikainen, Director, European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
Christopher Robinson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. State Department
Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Moderator:
Julian Barnes, National Security Reporter, New York Times
10:25 – 11:10am Panel 2: China as a Security Challenge
This panel will consider how the United States and European Union can find common ground and pursue concrete cooperation on the security implications of a rising China. Where do threat perceptions diverge and converge? What should the priorities of cooperation be? What forums, institutions, or other cooperative formats should the transatlantic community use to address those priorities?
Speakers:
Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, European External Action Service
Mikko Huotari, Executive Director, Mercator Institute on China Studies
Laura Rosenberger, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for China and Taiwan, U.S. National Security Council.
Moderator:
Bonny Lin, CSIS
11:20 – 11:55am Panel 3: Transatlantic Cooperation on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies
This panel will examine the implications of emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs), such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing, for transatlantic security and defense. How can the United States and European Union cooperate on research and development? What obstacles may hinder cooperation? What are the dangers of falling behind adversaries?
Speakers:
Jiří Šedivý, Chief Executive, European Defence Agency
David van Weel, Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, NATO
Michael Vaccaro, Acting Director, International Cooperation, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S)
Moderator:
Denise Zheng, Managing Director for Strategic Initiatives, Accenture
11:55am – 12:00pm Closing Remarks
Defense 2030: Transnational Challenges to Transatlantic Security
9:30am Welcoming Remarks
9:35 – 10:10am Panel 1: The Arctic - Security Implications of Climate Change
This panel will consider the security implications of climate change for the transatlantic community by focusing on the region where climate impacts are the most dramatic and, perhaps, predictive of what the world will soon experience. What does a melting, increasingly open, and militarizing Arctic mean for transatlantic security and defense? What role can the European Union play in the region?
Speakers:
Trine Bramsen, Minister of Defence of Denmark
Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence of Canada
James DeHart, U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region, U.S. State Department
Moderator:
Rachel Ellehuus, CSIS
10:15 – 10:40am Keynote 1: Security Challenges in the Sahel and Beyond
In this moderated keynote conversation, João Gomes Cravinho, Minister of National Defence of Portugal will discuss the relevance of security challenges in sub-Saharan Africa for Europe and the United States. What are the external and internal challenges? How should the United States and European Union respond to the growing influence of Russia and China in Africa? How can the vast potential of the continent be reached?
Speaker:
João Gomes Cravinho, Minister of National Defence of Portugal
Moderator:
Judd Devermont, CSIS
10:45 – 11:15am Panel 2: European and U.S. military engagement in Africa: An Operational Perspective
In this panel, high-ranking military officers will provide a detailed, ground-level breakdown of U.S. and EU military engagement on the African continent. Where are U.S. and European soldiers deployed? What are their missions and what challenges do they face? How does transatlantic cooperation manifest in this context? This panel will feature a pre-recorded statement by Brigadier General Fernando Luis Gracia Herreiz, Commander of EUTM Mali.
Speakers:
Vice Admiral Hervé Bléjean, Director-General, EU Military Staff
General Stephen J. Townsend, Commander, U.S. Africa Command
Brigadier General Fernando Luis Gracia Herreiz, Commander, EU Training Mission Mali
Moderator:
Lara Seligman, Pentagon Reporter, Politico
11:25 – 11:55am Panel 3: EU-NATO-US Cooperation
This panel will focus on the importance of the EU-NATO relationship for transatlantic security and defense. What is the status of the implementation of the common set of proposals first outlined in 2016? How can early successes in improving military mobility on the European continent be replicated for other areas like resilience, cyber security, and emerging and disruptive technologies?
Speakers:
Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General for CSDP and Crisis Response, European External Action Service
Uroš Lampret, State Secretary, Slovenian Ministry of Defense
James Mackey, Director for Security Policy and Partnerships, NATO
Moderator:
Rachel Ellehuus, CSIS
12:00 – 12:30pm Panel 4: Spending Better for Future Capabilities
This panel will focus on how the United States and European allies and partners can pursue deeper cooperation on defense investment. How can collaboration be enhanced, from research and development to design and manufacturing to procurement? How can transatlantic cooperation increase the resilience of defense supply chains? What obstacles might impede collaboration and how could they be overcome?
Speakers:
Dr. Victoria Coleman, Chief Scientist, U.S. Air Force
Daniel Fiott, Security and Defence Editor, EU Institute for Security Studies
Moderator:
Mackenzie Eaglen, Resident Fellow, AEI
This event is funded by the European Union.
