The Leading Foreign Policy and Security Forum in Central Europe GlobsecShaping the2013 Transatlantic Summary Strategic Agenda 18 – 20 April 2013 Summary and Key Speeches Slovak Atlantic Commission Headquarters: Office Banská Bystrica: Klariská 14 Kuzmányho 3 811 03 Bratislava 974 01 Banská Bystrica Slovak Republic Slovak Republic Phone/Fax: +421 2 544 106 09 Phone: +421 48 415 2260 [email protected] [email protected] www.globsec.org | www.ata-sac.org www.globsec.org 1 | Summary Obsah 1. GLOBSEC 2013 Summary 5 2. Keynote Speech by Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski 22 3. Opening Speeches by GLOBSEC 2013 co-chairs 27 4. Opening Speech by Prime Minister Robert Fico 30 5. Czech and Slovak Transatlantic Awards 35 at GLOBSEC 2013 6. GLOBSEC Young Leaders’ Forum 2013 37 7. About GLOBSEC 2013 39 8. About the Slovak Atlantic Commission 42 Globsec 2013 Summary WELCOMING WORDS if a point of balance could not be found between fiscal consolidation and economic growth. More gener­ The conference was formally ally, he said that the EU ran the risk of opened by Ambassador (Ret.) Rasti- losing much of its credibility if it did slav Káčer, President and Chairman not sort out its problems. of the Board of the Slovak Atlantic Commission. Ambassador Káčer Staying with the European Union, then handed the floor to Slovak Mr. Fico raised the matter of the Prime Minister Robert Fico for an in­ Western Balkans and the Eastern troductory address. Partnership. In that context, he said, the goal of European integration re­ The prime minister congratulated mained unaccomplished. The prime GLOBSEC, noting how it had grown minister said he looked forward to over the years into a “major interna­ Croatia joining the EU soon, and tional event in our region”. He de­ others later. His message to them scribed security as the prerequisite was that reforms do “pay off”. As a for stability and economic prospe­ platform within the EU, Prime Minister rity. Having made a brief reference Fico highlighted the Visegrad coun­ to developments in Syria and Korea, tries – Poland, the Czech Republic, Mr. Fico stressed that the key task for Slovakia and Hungary – as a group this part of the world was stabilising that had played a significant role in the European economy and what Central Europe. He looked forward he called the unfinished business of to deepening cooperation between integrating the continent. the four countries. One area where the Visegrad group was attempting Fico: “Today we are provid- to make a difference was in “smart ers rather than consumers defence”. The prime minister noted of security” that he had raised the issue in his speech at the conference last year He reminded the audience that and that progress had indeed been 2013 marked the 20th anniversary made on it since then. of Slovakia’s independence: “We have proved we can manage our Mr. Fico highlighted with pride Slova­ domestic affairs democratically,” he kia’s contribution to ISAF in Afghani­ said. NATO and the EU – Slovakia is a stan, and underlined his commit­ member of both – formed the basis ment to maintaining strong transat­ of security and stability: “Today we lantic cooperation. are providers rather than consumers of security”, he added. The Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Euro­ On the subject of the on­going pean Affairs, Miroslav Lajčák then economic crisis, Prime Minister Fico took the floor. He echoed his prime said Slovakia was working hard to minister’s congratulations to GLOB­ cut debt as a proportion of its gross SEC and to the Slovak Atlantic domestic product to three percent Commission, saying that after eight this year underlining, however, that years of its existence, GLOBSEC had the, “consolidation effort does not surpassed all expectations. Noting end in 2013.” Echoing concerns felt that this year’s conference was also by other Social Democratic lead­ serving as a platform for the foreign ers in Europe, he cautioned about ministers of the Visegrad countries, the dangers of a “lost generation” he then invited Radosław Sikorski, 5 | Summary and Key Speeches Globsec 2013 Summary foreign minister of Poland to address the conference. MINISTERIAL RE- MARKS: VISEGRAD Mr. Sikorski paid homage to a West­ ern leader who, according to his GOING STRATEGIC words, holds a special place in the hearts of people across the Central The first panel of the conference, and Eastern European region: “Yes­ chaired by Ambassador Káčer, terday in London we were paying re­ brought together the Visegrad foreign spects to a very remarkable woman ministers: Miroslav Lajčák of Slovakia; – Baroness Margaret Thatcher,” he Radosław Sikorski of Poland; Karel said. She was a leader who stood up Schwarzenberg of the Czech Repub­ for Central and Eastern Europe, he lic; and János Martonyi of Hungary. added. Mr. Lajčák remembered aloud the first Sikorski: “We are NATO’s Visegrad meeting in April 1990, which staunchest supporters and he joked was, “the biggest mess I allies,” have ever been in”, adding that, nonetheless, the ideas were there and Noting that, “we are NATO’s staunch­ the goals were there ­ it took time to est supporters and allies”, Mr. Sikorski define the V4’s raison d’etre. But now, moved to the subject of the Viseg­ “we see more and more reasons and rad 4, now a globally recognisable more and more areas” where coop­ brand, he said. The V4 could soon eration is mutually beneficial, he said. be on a par with Turkey in terms of its economic power. The V4 also had Mr. Lajčák specifically referred to four security interests, he said, adding that areas where the V4 has worked to­ its collective defence spending in gether: 1) Coordination within the EU. 2011 was 13.6 billion euro. Evidence 2) Energy security. 3) Defence coop­ of V4 cooperation on defence could eration. 4) External activities such as be seen through the formation of a the Western Balkans. He also men­ V4 battlegroup ­ bringing together tioned the utility of the International the resources and expertise of the Visegrad Fund. constituent nations. Broadening his perspective, Mr. Sikorski pointed out Mr. Sikorski stressed the role the V4 how Poland and the other countries had had in winning the argument in in the V4 had stood with their allies in the wider EU for a better coordinated Iraq and Afghanistan. energy policy: “Energy is something that we Central Europeans have won The transatlantic alliance remained the argument over in the EU”. A dec­ the “bedrock of our security”, he ade ago we got strange looks, he stressed. But the EU needed to do said. Now, everyone in the EU under­ more in the security field, he added. stands its importance. Also, he added, Eastern policy could not be made in the EU without refer­ ence to the V4. “If we do not want something to happen in relation to Ukraine/Belarus, for example, it does not happen,” he said. Summary and Key Speeches | 6 Globsec 2013 Summary As to the character of the V4, he that he was “convinced” that the described the group’s tendency as negotiations with Croatia could not more free trade, more Atlanticist, and have been completed on time with­ more enlargement­oriented than out the push from Central European some others in the EU. countries. Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg of the Czech Republic remembered the days when the whole Visegrad idea SESSION 1: ENERGY was founded. We never claimed to represent the whole of Central Eu­ GEOPOLITICS OF rope or the whole of post­communist Europe, he said, adding that, so as CENTRAL EUROPE not to become too top heavy, the group was limited to three and then The next panel, chaired by Edward four (when Czecholsovakia split into Lucas, international editor of The independent nation states). “We are Economist, turned to the question of the happiest divorcees in Europe”, he Energy Geopolitics of Central Europe. said with reference to the split. The panel was composed of Polish Schwarzenberg: “We are Foreign Minister Sikorski; Reka Sze- still, despite the problems, merkenyi, chief advisor on foreign optimistic about the and security in the Office of the Hun­ European Union,” garian Prime Minister; Pawel Olechno- wicz, chairman of the board of Cen­ Mr. Schwarzenberg noted the ex­ tral Europe Energy Partners in Brussels; traordinary successes of the Visegrad and Professor Alan Riley of the City countries since the end of commu­ Law School at City University, London. nism: “We are still, despite the prob­ Edward Lucas repeated and thus lems, optimistic about the European underlined the point made by Minis­ Union,” he said. Minister Schwarzen­ ter Sikorski about Central Europeans berg also reiterated his colleagues’ winning the argument on energy position on the importance of energy geopolitics in the EU. How did we security. get here? he asked. János Martonyi, foreign minister of Mr. Sikorski noted a perverse reality Hungary, also reminisced on the be­ that helped: “We were helped by ginnings of Visegrad, which took the Russians”, he said. When Russia place amid the early transition from started cutting off energy supplies communism. He said that, soon af­ they made everyone wake up. To­ ter those early days, it became clear day, Poland is investing widely and is that there was real strategic value in doing better at conserving energy, continuing and developing a Viseg­ he added. If Ukraine was as energy rad group built around a very special efficient as the Czech Republic, a history. Turning to the group’s funding useful proxy for the European aver­ arm, the Visegrad Fund, he said: “The age, Ukraine would be self-sufficient fund is functioning very well; it is being in gas.