The European Political Strategy Centre is hosting the Europa Connectivity Forum. Our Senior Research Fellow, Maaike Okano-Heijmans, is one of the speakers in a panel. To register, please click here. 

Deepening relations between EU and Asia

This event builds on the recent European Commission Communication Connecting Europe and Asia: Building Blocks for an EU Strategy. This event is a first concrete manifestation of facilitating much deeper ties between Europe and Asia in promoting shared values and joint interests: from upholding the rules-based, multilateral order and developing high standards for digital and physical infrastructure, to embracing sustainability and clean technologies. In a mix of keynote addresses by high-ranking political leaders and interactive panels, speakers will explore connectivity as a global megatrend, and extrapolate what it means for the EU-Asia relationship as well as the wider world. In particular, connectivity will be examined through various angles, from geopolitics and economics to standards and finance.

Programme & speakers

The Forum will be opened by President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, thus highlighting the key strategic partnership and unique bilateral relationship between the EU and Japan, including on connectivity.

In a mix of keynote addresses by high-ranking political leaders and interactive panels, speakers will explore connectivity as a global megatrend, and extrapolate what it means for the EU-Asia relationship, as well as the wider world. In particular, connectivity will be examined through various angles, from geopolitics and economics to standards and finance. We are pleased to announce that the following speakers, among others, have confirmed their participation:

• Antti Rinne, Prime Minister, Finland
• Werner Hoyer, President, European Investment Bank
• Takehiko Nakao, President, Asian Development Bank
• Suma Chakrabarti, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development         
• Radmila Shekerinska Jankovska, Deputy Prime Minster, North Macedonia
• Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi, Finance Minister, Afghanistan
• Helga Schmid, Secretary-General, European External Action Service
• Siswo Pramono, Head of Policy Analysis and Development Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia
• Reinhard Bütikofer, Member of the European Parliament
• Riccardo Lambiris, CEO, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund
• Cedrik Neike, CEO, Smart Infrastructure, Siemens AG
• Parag Khana, author of ‘Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization’ and ‘The Future is Asian: Commerce, Conflict, and Culture in the 21st Century’
• Bruno Maçães, author of "The Dawn of Eurasia" and “Belt and Road”, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
• Maaike Okano-Heijmans, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute
• Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics at Oxford University and presenter, BBC 

Our Senior Research Fellow, Maaike Okano-Heijmans will speak on the panel “The Standards and Norms of Connectivity” (14:30-15:30 hrs), setting the stage and bringing in her insights based on her recent research on standard setting. Scroll down for her recent reports. 

Registration

Seats will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Please use the following registration link.For more information, please follow the conference website or contact us via the dedicated mailbox: EPSC-FORUM-EU-ASIA@ec.europa.eu.