High Level Conference: Europe’s Security Policy – Diplomacy, Defence and Development

12-15 September 2011, Ohrid

 

The High Level Conference: Europe’s Security Policy – Diplomacy, Defence and Development took place on 12-15 September 2011 in Ohrid. The conference was held within the framework of the CSDP Training Program 2001 for the Stabilization and Association Process countries, in co-organization of the Directorate for Security of Classified Information and the European Security and Defence College (ESDC). Being one of the program initiators, Austria was the twinning partner for this event.

Representatives from Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia participated in the conference. They were welcomed by Mr. Jovan Andonovski, State Advisor at the Secretariat for European Issues of the Republic of Macedonia and Major General Johann Pucher, Director of the Directorate for Security Policy at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence and Sports. Dr. Werner Fasslabend, Former Austrian Minister of Defence, was the key-note speaker at the conference.

The work at the conference was divided in several panels moderated by the Director of the Directorate for Security of Classified Information and Dr. Jochen Rehrl, Austrian Representative in the ESDC Steering Committee and Head of Unit within the Directorate for Security Policy at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence and Sports.

The panel on European-Integration - CFSP/CSDP aspects included the addresses by Dr. Ivica Josifovic, Professor at the FON University, Law Faculty, Ms. Ines Troha-Brdar, Head of the Department for CFSP and CSDP at the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and Mr. Philipp Agathonos, Expert on CSDP at the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs.

Dr. Sven Biscop, Director of the Europe in the World Programme at Egmont – the Royal Institute for International Relations in Belgium, Mr Hans-Bernhard Weisserth, Acting Head of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC/CMPD) and Dr. Lidija Georgieva, Professor at the Security, Defence and Peace Institute within the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje gave their overview in the panel on The New Institutional Setting - Roles and Responsibilities, while Dr. Adam Sowa, Europe Defence Agency Deputy Chief Executive for Operations, held a presentation on the European Capability Development.

The topic on the The strategic dimension of CSDP and the Western Balkan was addressed by Ms. Veronica Cody, Deputy Director of the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate at the European External Action Service, while Dr Gustav Lindstrom, the Head of the Euro-Atlantic Security Programme at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, gave overview on The CSDP Comprehensive Approach.

The participants in the conference summarized the obtained knowledge in the area of the Europe’s security policy, diplomacy, defence and development and underlined its positive aspects by giving active contribution to the relevant working groups in the conference.