While the second round of Minsk talks on Ukraine brought the heads of state from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France to the table, there has been very little dialogue between these actors and other countries of the region to foster a common understanding. The organisers propose a non-governmental (Track-II) format to re-start the dialogue among analysts covering the region, bringing experts beyond the Eastern Partnership and the Eurasian Economic Union division line.

The Minsk Dialogue conference will gather leading experts from the European Union, Russia and the Eastern Partnership countries to discuss and develop viable ideas on how to minimize tensions in the ‘shared neighbourhood’, understand the difference between the genuine interests of countries and their rhetoric in order to produce concrete policy recommendations before the Riga Summit.

The event will take place two months before the Riga summit, to allow time to communicate outcomes to the public and policy-makers in the European Union, Russia and Eastern Partnership countries.

Track-II Diplomacy Format

The Minsk Dialogue Initiative aims to create a permanent Track-II (non-governmental) expert platform for holding regular conferences and promoting up-to-date policy advice. The conferences will be held under Chatham House Rule with a view to facilitating open exchange. In order to establish ties with Track-I diplomacy (inter-governmental), diplomats will be invited as observers.

Organisers

The Discussion and Analytical Society Liberal Club (Belarus) and the Ostrogorski Centre (UK-Belarus)

Objectives

  • To facilitate inclusive expert dialogue at the Track-II level and beyond existing regional divides, which the Ukraine crisis has exposed.
  • To forge pathways for cooperation in the ‘shared neighbourhood’ and for greater convergence between the two competing integration projects – the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

Venue

Minsk was chosen as venue for the Track-II platform due to its newly established status as a neutral ground for negotiations on resolving the Ukraine crisis. It has the best potential to gather experts from all countries in the region and is also uniquely placed to host discussions about EU-EEU relations, as it is simultaneously a founding member of both the EEU and the Eastern Partnership.

Expected Outcome

  • A well-functioning inclusive network of influential region experts from EU and EaP countries and Russia.
  • Regular non-papers with innovative policy advice for fostering cooperation across existing dividing lines in the ‘shared neighbourhood’.

Format

Two-day closed door discussions under the Chatham House Rule.

Participants

Up to 30 leading experts from the European Union, Russia and Eastern Partnership countries.

Programme

Thursday, 27 March

9.00-9.30

Registration

9.30

 

9.30-10.00

Conference begins

Welcoming remarks

(Open to the press)

Aliaksandr Mikhnevich – First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Belarus

Yauheni Preiherman – Policy Director, Centre for Analytical Initiatives, Discussion and Analytical Society Liberal Club, Belarus

Yaraslau Kryvoi – Founder, Ostrogorski Centre; Editor-in-Chief, Belarus Digest, UK-Belarus

10.00-11.30

Session 1. Reviewing the European Neighbourhood Policy: What Reform Options are on the Table?

(Open to the press)

Speaker

Maira Mora – Ambassador, Head of EU Delegation to the Republic of Belarus

Discussants

Arkady Moshes – Programme Director, EU Eastern Neighbourhood and Russia Programme, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Finland

Wojciech Konończuk – Head, Department for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Centre for Eastern Studies, Poland

Andrei Rusakovich – Chairman of the Board, Foreign Policy and Security Research Center, Belarus

Andrei Skryba – Researcher, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies, Higher School of Economics, Russia

Chair

Yaraslau Kryvoi – Founder, Ostrogorski Centre; Editor-in-Chief, Belarus Digest, UK-Belarus

11.30-12.00

Coffee break

12.00-13.30

Session 2. What Caused the Regional Divide?

Balázs Jarábik – Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Associate Fellow, Central European Policy Institute, Slovakia-Lithuania

Rasim Musabekov – Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan

Oleh Rybachuk – Chairman and Co-Founder, Centre UA, Ukraine

Dmitry Suslov – Deputy Director, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies, Higher School of Economics, Russia

Chair

James Nixey – Head, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House, UK

13.30-14.30

Lunch

14.30-16.00

Session 3. The Eurasian Economic Union: Legitimate Grouping or Veil for Revanchism? 

Sławomir Dębski – Director, Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding, Poland

Sergey Markedonov – Associate Professor, Russian State University for the Humanities, Russia

Ian Bond – Director of Foreign Policy, Centre for European Reform, UK

Mikayel Zolyan – Analyst, Regional Studies Centre, Armenia

Chair

Arkady Moshes – Programme Director, EU Eastern Neighbourhood and Russia Programme, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Finland

16.00-16.30

Coffee break

16.30-18.00

Session 4. The Future of the Eastern Partnership: Is Reform Necessary?

James Nixey – Head, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House, UK

Giorgi Badridze – Senior Fellow, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, Georgia

Dzianis Melyantsou – Senior Analyst, Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, Lithuania-Belarus

Hennadiy Maksak – President, Polissia Foundation of International and Regional Studies, Ukraine

Chair

Viktar Shadursky – Dean, Department of International Relations, Belarusian State University, Belarus

Saturday, 28 March

9.30-11.00

Session 5. The European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union: Looking for Common Denominators

Sergey Utkin – Head, Department of Strategic Assessment, Centre for Situation Analysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Vladimir Fesenko – Chairman of Board, PENTA Centre, Ukraine

Jacek Giedrojć – Founding Partner, Warsaw Equity Group; President, Foundation for Liberal Education, Poland

Victoria Bucataru – Research and Programs Director, Foreign Policy Association of Moldova, Moldova

Chair

Sławomir Dębski – Director, Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding, Poland

11.00-11.30

Coffee break

11.30-13.00

Session 6. Round Table: The Minsk Dialogue Network: Ideas for Future Cooperation

Chair

Yauheni Preiherman – Policy Director, Centre for Analytical Initiatives, Discussion and Analytical Society Liberal Club, Belarus

Conference adjourns