#EUDefense2018 Program

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EU Security and Defense Symposium 2018

8:00                 Breakfast

8:20-8:22         Welcoming remarks by H.E. David O’Sullivan, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States

8.22-8:00         Opening remarks by Pedro Serrano, Pedro Serrano, Deputy Secretary General for CSDP, European External Action Service

8:30-9:30         Panel 1: 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, CSIS

9:30-10:00       Morning Keynote: Transatlantic Relations: The View from the U.S. Senate

• Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), United States Senate
• Moderator: Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; Director, Europe Program, CSIS
  

10:00-10:30     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?

• E. José Alberto de Azeredo Lopes, Minister of National Defense, Portuguese Republic (Confirmed)
• Moderator: Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; Director, Europe Program, CSIS

10:30-10:45     Coffee Break

10:45-11:45     Panel 2: 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 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

11:45-11:50     Video on EU Civilian Missions and Military Operation in the Sahel

11:50-12:50     Panel 3: 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, United States Institute of Peace

12:50-1:15       Break for lunch

1:15-2:15         Lunch Session: U.S., EU, and NATO Reaction to Russian Hybrid Activity

Audience polling within a scenario exercise of Russian hybrid activity in Southern Europe and the Black Sea region.

• Frank Cilluffo, Associate Vice President and Director of the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security
• Jonatan Vseviov, Permanent Secretary, Estonian Ministry of Defense
• Sarah Ladislaw, Director and Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS
• Moderator: Jeffrey Rathke, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Europe Program, CSIS

2:15                 End of symposium