The Chisinau conference was the forth annual gathering of alumni and regional experts affiliated with Harvard’s Black Sea Security Program, which takes place every April at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Prior conferences took place in Yalta, Ukraine (2002), Baku, Azerbaijan (2003) and Batumi, Georgia (2004). The primary missions are: 1) to provide a forum for regional experts to discuss critical security issues pertaining to the Black Sea region, 2) to strengthen and expand the regional network initiated by the Black Sea Security Program’s annual April conference, and 3) to involve American general officers and policy makers in dialogue about security in the Black Sea region.

For more information, please refer to the Black Sea Security Program website at www.harvard-bssp.org or contact Program Director Sergei Konoplyov at 617-405-8046 or sergei_konoplyov@harvard.edu.

AGENDA

6 June, Monday

Arrival of participants to Chisinau

18:00-- 19:00 Ice breaker

19:00 – 21:00 Official Dinner hosted by Minister of Defense

7 June, Tuesday

9:30 Opening remarks: Minister of Defense Vasiliu Plesca

Country presentations

10:00 – 10:25

Georgia: Reform on Security Ministries/Westernizing Georgia’s Ministry, Separatist Conflicts and the Threat to Georgian Domestic Stability.

Gela Bezhuashvili, Secretary, National Security Council

10:25 – 10:50

Armenia: Cooperation with Western Security Systems: NATO, OSCE

Ashot Voskanian, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

10:50 – 11: 15

Azerbaijan: Trans-Caspian Cooperation; Western Security Integration; Iran

Fuad Isgenderov, Deputy Minister of National Security

11:15 – 11:40

Bulgaria: New NATO membership; Thoughts on the role of NATO/PfP in the Black Sea.

Ilko Dimitrov, Deputy Minister of Defense

11:40 – 12:10 Coffee break

12:10- 12:35

Greece: The relations of the European Union with the Black Sea Countries

12:35 – 13:00

Moldova: security implications of the unresolved Transdnistria situation on the region; Efforts to curb transnational threats.

Anatol, Gozun, Deputy Head, Information and Security Service

13:00 – 15:00 Lunch

15:00 – 15:30

Romania: New NATO membership; Thoughts on the role of NATO/PfP in the Black Sea;

Ovideu Dranga, Deputy Secretary of State, Ministry of National Defense

15:30 – 16:00

Turkey: status of Black sea security organizations (BLACKSEAFOR, etc.); analysis of threat environment and effects on the Black Sea region; US-Turkey Relations.

Captain Temel Ersoy, Defense Advisor to the President of the Republic of Turkey

16:00 – 16:30

Ukraine: Trans-National Threats, Defense Reform/NATO integration

Boris Andresyuk, Head, Security and Defense Committee, Supreme Rada

20:00 Dinner at Chisinau restaurant

8 June, Wednesday

9:30 – 10:00

US Cooperation with the Region

James MacDougall, Principal Director, Office of the Secretary of Defense/International Security Policy/Eurasia

10:00 – 10:30

EUCOM Partnerships programs

Admiral Bill Goodwin, EUCOM

10:30 – 11:00

EU Cooperation with the Region

Major General Jean-Pierre Herreweghe - Deputy Director General and Chief of Staff - European Union Military Staff

11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:00

Security priorities in the Black Sea/Caspian Sea Region

Vladimir Socor, Senior Fellow, Institute for Advanced Strategic & Political Studies

12: 00 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 15:30

NATO Policy in the Region

Jean Fournet, Deputy Secretary General of NATO

15:30 Open Discussion

16:30 Conclusion of the Workshop

20:00 Final Dinner

9 June, Thursday

9:00 – 15:00 Visit to Trasdniester Region

16:00 – 21:00 Visit to Cricova Wine Cellars

10 June, Friday

09:00 Departure of participants.