EASTERN PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS FORUM

Organised on 28 November 2013 on the eve of the 3rd Eastern Partnership Summit of Heads of State and Government, the Eastern Partnership Business Forum will bring together key representatives of the business community and government to address strategic questions ranging from further enhancement of trade, foreign direct investment, boosting of SMEs and developing infrastructure for business success. The expected signature of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine, finishing of negotiations with Moldova, Georgia and Armenia before the 3rd Eastern Partnership Summit of Heads of State and Government will mark an essential step in the political and economic relationship between the neighbours. Establishing the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) will spur the creation of a Europe-wide free trade area where businesses will benefit not only from elimination of tariff barriers, but also from the use of common standards, more transparent and certain operating environment. The impact of the DCFTA’s will therefore be reflected in the discussions across all panels.

Speakers List

Hosts

• Algirdas Butkevičius, Prime Minister of Lithuania
• Robertas Dargis, President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists
• Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank

EU Officials

• José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
• Karel De Gucht, European Commissioner for Trade
• Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy
• Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

Eastern Partnership Officials

• Serhyi Arbuzov, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine
• George Kvirikashvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
• Valeriu Lazar, Minister of Economy of Moldova
• Shahin Mustafayev, Minister of Economic Development of Azerbaijan
• Nikolai Snopkov, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Belarus
• Vahram Avanesyan, Minister of Economy of Armenia

Business Community

• Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BUSINESSEUROPE
• Arnaldo Abruzzini, Secretary General of EUROCHAMBRES
• Idrak Dadashov, President, Five Continents
• Goetz Trillhaas, Manager CEE New Markets, Google
• Cornelius Granig, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Ukraine
• Philippe Guitard, Director of Central and Eastern Zone, Veolia Environmental Services
• Paweł Olechnowicz, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Central Europe Energy Partners
• Paweł Chudziński, President, Aquanet S.A.
• Rainer Lindner, Director of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations
• Anatoliy Kinakh, President of Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
• Karl Sevelda, Chief Executive Officer, Raiffeisen Bank International AG, Austria
• Thomas Engelhardt, Chairman of the Management Board, AccessHolding

International Organisations

• Luc Devigne, Chief negotiator for DCFTA, Directorate General for Trade, European Commission
• Marcos Bonturi, Deputy Director for OECD Global
• Wilhelm Molterer, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank
• Rolf Wenzel, Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank
• Heinz Olbers, Director of Eastern Neighbours and Central Asia Department, European Investment Bank
• Sir Suma Chakrabarti, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Diplomats and Academics

• Vytautas Naudužas, Ambassador at-large for transport and energy issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania
• Dimitrios A. Tsamboulas, Professor, National Technical University of Athens, School of transportation planning and engineering