CDRSEE :: Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe

News

16-18 December, 2011 – History Education Meeting in Belgrade, Serbia. The Joint History Project's History Education Committee finalised its push to expand this highly successful history book series to cover more recent times. During a two-day meeting in Belgrade, the editors and contributors discussed the publication within a larger circle of participants and received input from a renowned international expert in the field of Southeast European History. The fruitful meeting was the last in a series of three meetings made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Institute for Sustainable Communities.

2 – 4 December, Dynamic Teaching Tools Concept Meeting in Thessaloniki – Some of the most accomplished educators and researchers from the region and from the United States gathered in Thessaloniki to create the framework for a new dynamic teaching methodology tool. This talented, multi-faceted group will ultimately publish a manual that will provide teachers with the latest research on teaching methods and ideas on how these methods can be used in their classrooms. While this project builds upon CDRSEE's highly successful Joint History Project, the information and ideas within will not be limited to history classes, but rather will be focused on the art of teaching in a rapidly changing society. The manual will be translated into six different languages. This was the first meeting, with the next scheduled for spring 2012 in Tirana. The project is funded by the European Union, under the IPA Programme.

1 December, 2011 – CDRSEE and the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB) will kick off a new project in December, organising a series of lively debates about controversial regional issues and broadcasting these debates via major local TV stations throughout the region. The idea of “Similarities Between Differences” is to foster an exchange of ideas and a real debate about the issues that are plaguing these countries, impeding EU accession and reconciliation. This is not your everyday talk show. This series will bring together untainted, well-respected and unbiased individuals from a wide field of social sciences, including anthropology, ethnology, cultural studies, applied ethics and many others. The topics will not be easy or comfortable, but the wider debates that spring from this series can lead to real solutions and a mutual understanding. More information on the EFB is available at www.balkanfund.org.

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News - 10th THESSALONIKI FORUM

The American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece are especially pleased to announce the organization of the 10th THESSALONIKI FORUM to be held May 24 & 25, 2004 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Thessaloniki, Greece.

This year's Forum will be organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in cooperation with the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and the Representation of the European Commission in Greece.

The Thessaloniki Forum has become the leading annual event in Southeast Europe where the private and public sectors interact to review development policy, explore investment opportunities, and define strategic goals in areas of regional cooperation.

More than 600 government delegates and business representatives convene to initiate and evaluate development and investment programs in the rapidly-evolving Southeast European environment. Economic cooperation and stabilization in the region are promoted at the conference through the official participation of Southeast European countries, the European Union, United States, and Russia.

To mark the tenth year of the Thessaloniki Forum, we aim further to improve regional ties and to asses the Forum's achievements in Southeast Europe. The Forum's task is to find the best means of defining new roles resulting in collective benefit for Southeast Europe.

Conference delegates will have the opportunity to exchange views with members of state delegations, senior business executives and representatives of leading international organizations.

The conference participation fee is 300 € (plus 18% VAT ), and includes conference material, simultaneous translation and participation to the official conference luncheons and dinners. For members of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce as well as the members of the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece, will be a discount of 10% of the total amount.

PROGRAM

MONDAY, MAY 24, 2004

09:00 -09:30

REGISTRATION

09:30 -10:15

WELCOME ADDRESS
NIKOS EFTHYMIADIS
President, Organizing Community of the Thessaloniki Forum

NIKOLAOS TSIARTSIONIS
Minister of Macedonia- Thrace , Greece

DIMITRIS SIMEONIDIS
President, Federation of Industries of Northern Greece

STEPHANOS COSTOPOULOS
President, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

GEORGE MARKOPOULIOTIS
Head, European Commission's Representation Office in Greece

10:15-11:00

OPENING REMARKS:

STAVROS DIMAS
Member of the European Commission, Greece

THOMAS J. MILLER
Ambassador of the United States to the Hellenic Republic

ANDREY VDOVIN
Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Hellenic Republic

11:00 - 13:00

SOUTHEAST EUROPE AND THE NEW GEOPOLITICAL ENVIRONMENT: AN OVERVIEW

Discussion Paper: GERALD KNAUS
Director, European Stability Initiative , Germany

ERIC STEWART
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe, Department of Commerce , United States

ERHARD DUSEK
Special Coordinator, The Stability Pact, Austria

LAZA KEKIC
Regional Director, Central & Eastern Europe, Economist Intelligence Unit , UK

GEORGE MILONAS
Chairman of the Board & CEO, Alumil Milonas S.A. , Greece

PERICLES VENIERIS
Region Director, Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company S.A. , Greece

Chair: COSTA CARRAS
Board Member, Center for Democracy & Reconciliation in Southeast Europe, Greece

13:00-13:30

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

13:30-15:00

LUNCH

Keynote Speaker: GUNTHER ALTENBURG
Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, NATO, Belgium

15:00-17:30

REGIONAL EXPECTATIONS: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH OPINION LEADERS AND POLICY MAKERS

ALl BABACAN,
Minister of State, Turkey

EVRIPIDIS STYLIANIDIS
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Greece

STEVCO JAKIMOVSKI
Minister of Economy, FYR Macedonia

Comments:
PETER SANFEY

Senior Economist, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, United Kingdom

VETON SURROI
Chairman, KOHA Media Group, Pristina

NENAD SEBEK
Executive Director, Center for Democracy & Reconciliation in Southeast Europe, Greece

Chair: THEODORE COULOUMBIS
Director General, Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), Greece

17:30-18:00

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

20:30

DINNER

Introduction: STEPHANOS COSTOPOULOS
President, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

Keynote Speaker: GEORGE PAPANDREOU
Leader of the Opposition and President of PASOK Party. Greece

Tuesday, MAY 25, 2004

11:00 - 13:00

REDEFINING ROLES & INTERESTS IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE

ALEXANDER PHILON
Ambassador-Director, Center for Analysis and Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Greece

ALEXANDROS YANNIS
Counselor, Directorate General for External and Politico-Military Affairs, Western Balkans, Council of the European Union, Belgium

MATTHEW NIMETZ
Partner, General Atlantic Partners LLC, United States

MEGLENA KUNEVA
Minister of European Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria

SERGEI GONCHARENKO
Deputy Director, Department of Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia

YASAR YAKIS
Chairman, EU Harmonization Committee, Grand National Assembly, Turkey

Moderator: ALEXIS PAPAHELLAS
Journalist, TO VIMA, Greece

13:00 -13:30

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

13:30-15:00

LUNCH

Keynote Speaker: VOJISLA V KOSTUNICA
Prime Minister of Serbia

WORKSHOPS

15:00-16:30

ENERGY

Moderator: EFTHYMIOS CHRISTODOULOU
Chairman of the Board & CEO, Hellenic Petroleum S.A., Greece

GEORGIOS SALAGOUDIS
Deputy Minister of Development, Greece

RAPHAEL MOISSIS
Chairman of the Board, Public Gas Corporation S.A. (DEPA), Greece

CAMERON BAILEY
Vice President and Director, Head of Energy Services, The Boston Consulting Group, Russia

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Moderator: VASSILITAKAS
President, INA S.A., Greece

PANTELIS TZORTZAKIS
Chief Executive Officer, FORTHnet S.A., Greece

DRAGAN POVRENOVIC
Assistant Minister, Ministry of Sciences and Environmental Protection, Serbia and Montenegro

16:30-18:00

BANKING

Moderator: AGIS LEOPOULOS
General Manager for International Affairs, National Bank of Greece

MIRANDA XAFA
Economic Advisor, Piraeus Bank, Greece

CHARALAMPOS TSAROUCHAS
Secretary General, Black Sea Trade & Development Bank, Greece

IOANNIS TSIKRIPIS
Banking Supervision Department, Bank of Greece

PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

Moderator: MARIOS KYRIACOU
Senior Partner, KPMG Greece

CHRISTOS FOLIAS
Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance , Greece

EDI RAMA
Mayor of Tirana , Albania

RICHARD ZINK
Director, European Agency for Reconstruction

CONRAD ECKENSCHWILLER
Consultant, Bouygues Group, France

THEODORA TAMBAKOULI
President, Themeliodomi S.A., Greece

21:00

DINNER

Introduction: DIMITRIS SIMEONIDIS
President, Federation of Industries of Northern Greece

Keynote Speaker: KONSTANTINOS KARAMANLIS
Prime Minister of Greece