The Baltic Geopolitics Programme held a successful panel at the Warsaw Security Forum on Thursday 4 October on the subject of ’The future role of the United Kingdom in Central and Eastern Europe’
The panel consisted of:
- Ed Arnold – The changing orientation of NATO to meet contemporary challenges
- John Raine – A UK contribution to building the future security of the region
- General Sir Mark Carleton Smith – The military challenges and NATO, EU, JEF co-operation
- Anna Clunes – UK Ambassador to Poland
- Lord Vernon Coaker – Labour’s defence and security priorities in this region
- Moderator: Charles Clarke
The session was very well attended and there was a wide-ranging and informative discussion under Chatham House rules.
On Wednesday 3 October, Suzanne Raine moderated an ‘Executive Dialogue’ on Thinking Ahead: Future Post-Conflict Society in Ukraine. The aim of this panel was to consider how Ukrainian people can maintain and rebuild their country both during the war and once it is over.
The panel featured:
- Solomiia Bobrovska – Member of Parliament, Committee on National Security & Defence, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Delegation in NATO PA, Ukraine
- Maj. Gen. (R) James Cowan – CEO, The HALO Trust, United Kingdom
- Oleksandra Matviichuk – Head, Centre for Civil Liberties, Nobel Peace Prize Winner (2022), Ukraine
- Scott McDonald – Chief Executive, British Council, United Kingdom
- Oleksandra Ustinova – Member of Parliament, Ukraine
- Yelyzaveta Yasko – Member of Parliament, Ukraine
The clear conclusions of the panel were that such a multi-faceted problem, which spans de-mining to rebuilding schools to producing prosthetic limbs to prosecuting war crimes, requires far greater consideration and co-ordination than the collective effort so far.
