PROGRAMME
09:00 – 09:05
Welcoming Words
Mr Pekka Kujasalo, Ambassador of Finland to Hungary
09:05 – 09:20
Opening of the Seminar
Dr László Szőke, State Secretary, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary
09:20 – 10:50
SESSION I: The EU’s Instruments for Promoting Stability in its Neighbourhood
Chair: Dr Tapani Vaahtoranta, Director, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs
09:20 – 09:40
How do the EU25 respond to the challenges in the east?
Dr Mátyás Eörsi, Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs of the Parliament of Hungary
09:40 – 10:00
The EU’s absorption capacity and the potential of the European Neighbourhood Policy
Mr Jari Vilén, Chairman of the Grand Committee of the Parliament of Finland
10:00 – 10:20
The lessons of enlargement for the neighbourhood policy
Prof László Kiss, Director, Teleki László Institute, Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, Budapest
10:20 – 10:50
Discussion
10:50 – 11:20
Coffee Break
11:20 – 12:30
SESSION II: The Western Balkans
Chair: Mr Pertti Torstila, Secretary of State, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
11:20 – 11:40
The future of Kosovo and its implications for the region
President Martti Ahtisaari, United Nations Special Envoy for the Future Status Process for Kosovo
11:40 – 12:00
EU policy towards Western Balkans: between differentiation and cohesion
Mr Imre Varga, Ambassador of Hungary to Bosnia-Herzegovina
12:00 – 12:30
Discussion
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch Break
13:30 – 15:00
SESSION III: Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova
Chair: Mr Mihály Bayer, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary
13:30 – 13:50
The priorities of Finland’s EU Presidency on Belarus
Mr Timo Lahelma, Ambassador of Finland to Lithuania and Belarus
13:50 – 14:10
Is the EU able to democratise its eastern neighbours?
Dr Kristi Raik, the Council of the European Union
14:10 – 14:30
The ENP and expectations in the eastern neighbourhood
Mr András Rácz, Research Fellow, Teleki László Institute, Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, Budapest
14:30 – 15:00
Discussion
15:00 – 15:20
Coffee Break
15:20 – 16:50
SESSION IV: Russia
Chair: Dr Tapani Vaahtoranta, Director, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs
15:20 – 15:40
EU-Russia relations during Finland’s EU Presidency
Mr Pertti Torstila, Secretary of State, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
15:40 – 16:00
Hungary´s priorities in EU’s Russia policy and in Hungarian-Russian relations
Mr Mihály Bayer, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary
16:00 – 16:20
The impact of enlargement on EU policy towards Russia
Dr András Deák, Senior Research Fellow, Teleki László Institute, Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, Budapest
16:20 – 16:50
Discussion
16:50
Seminar closure
Mr Pertti Torstila, Secretary of State, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland