Date: Tuesday, 15.3.2016, 10:00 – 15:00
Location: Castle Jable, Grajska cesta 1, 1234 Mengeš, Slovenia
I n v i t a t i o n C o n c e p t P a p e r f o r t h e T h i n k T a n k M e e t i n g P r o g r a m S t a t e m e n t P a r t i c i p a n t s A d d r e s s e s & P r e s e n t a t i o n s (attachments) Dear Madam/Sir, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and the Members of the eRegions on the New eAmber and New eSilk Roads Think Tank together with the Centre for European Perspective – CEP are inviting you in the framework of the cooperation program of the Think Tanks from Central and Eastern European Countries and China to the Regional Meeting of Think Tanks of China and Central and Eastern European Countries. The Meeting will be held at Castle Jable, Grajska cesta 1, Mengeš, Slovenia on March 15, 2016, starting 10.00. Special guest and keynote speaker will be H.E. Mr. Liu Haixing, Assistant Foreign Minister and Secretary-General of the Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries – CEEC Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. We kindly request you to send the confirmation of the participation at the symposium no latter than March 4, to Ms. Neža Beguš, Neza.Begus@gov.si . Participants are supposed to pay the travel and accommodation expenses by them. Centre for European Perspective has a favourable arrangement with the Ambient Hotel in Domžale, 6 kilometres from the Castle Jable. Free shuttle between the hotel and the Ljubljana Airport is available, however the transport must be booked at least 24 hours before arrival. A price of transport between the hotel and Castle Jable is 12,00 EUR (up to 4 people); 20,00 EUR (from 4 to 8 people) per way. The working language of the meeting will be English. The Meeting’s Agenda will be provided at a later point in time. You are welcome to propose a topic of your interest to be discussed in the meeting as soon as possible. We are looking forward to receiving your suggestions regarding the Think Tank development directions and possible joint actions in 2016. With best regards, Dr. Stanislav Raščan, Think Tank Chairman, Acting Head of Department for Strategic Studies and Analyses, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Dr. Jože Gričar, Professor Emeritus Historically, the term Silk Road denotes a network of ancient trade and cultural routes connecting China and Central and South Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Since its very beginning, the spirit of the Silk Road has always been peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and win-win progress. In 2013, when visiting Kazakhstan and Indonesia, the Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed major initiatives for a modern Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (One Belt and One Road – OBOR), which attracted considerable international interest and received favourable responses from many countries. One Belt and One Road is a major economic cooperation initiative proposed by China, as well as an important step for the country to further open up to the rest of the world. The Chinese side proposes that OBOR should aim to increase political communication, road connections, unimpeded trade, currency flows and friendly relations, its main priorities being practical cooperation on infrastructure, connectivity in general, the economy, trade, energy, environment-friendly sectors, financial services and the maritime sector. Almost simultaneously, China elaborated on and defined the so-called “16+1 Initiative”, tailored to a comprehensive interconnectivity project designed for cooperation with sixteen Central and Eastern European Countries. Thus, the OBOR initiative involves not only modern land and maritime traffic infrastructure network projects meeting the demands of the 21st century, but will also increase the potential for strengthening, deepening and expanding opportunities for EU-China cooperation, cooperation between CEE countries (CEECs) and China, and – last, but not least – provide opportunities for mutual benefits and the internal development of all participants. At the Third China-CEEC Summit held in Belgrade in December 2014, Premier Li Keqiang proposed the establishment of a think-tank network for academic research and the exchange of views. A year later, when addressing the Fourth Summit in Suzhou, Premier Li Keqiang reiterated China’s support for implementing the 16+1 Think Tank Network and encouraged interaction between scholars on both sides. The agenda of the Think Tank Network has many goals. Overall, its most important task will be to find answers to the questions why and how China and 16 CEEc could strengthen and develop their relations, create opportunities for synergies between OBOR and the “16+1 Initative”, and define what challenges and opportunities lie ahead. We sincerely hope that our discussion will contribute positively to these goals. Tuesday, 15 March 2016 9:30 – 10:00 Registration and coffee Venue: Wedding Hall 10.00 – 10:50 Opening ceremony Venue: Auditorium Opening speech by: Dr. Stanislav Raščan, Head, Department for Strategic Studies and Analyses, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Slovenia Keynote speech by: Mr Liu Haixing, Head of Delegation, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China & Secretary General, Secretariat for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries Greeting speech by: Dr. Gorazd Justinek, Executive Director Greeting speech by: Dr. Jože Gričar, Professor Emeritus, University of Maribor & Program Coordinator, Inter-Municipality Initiative: Cross-border eCollaboration in the eRegions 11:00 – 12.00 Venue: Auditorium Panel discussions 1: One Belt one Road policy communication trough Think Tanks collaboration and practical cooperation in infrastructure, connectivity, people to people exchange Opening discussions by: 12:00 – 13:00 Buffet lunch and networking Venue: Wedding Hall 13:00 – 15.00 Venue: Auditorium Panel discussions 2: Opportunities for the enlarged potential to strengthen, deepen and expand opportunities for EU-China cooperation Statement by the participants of the eRegions Think Tank Meeting, Jable Castle, Slovenia, 15 March 2016 Historically, the term Silk Road denotes a network of ancient trade and cultural routes connecting China and Central and South Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Since its beginnings, the spirit of the Silk Road has always encompassed peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and win-win progress. The current initiatives for a modern Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (One Belt and One Road – OBOR) attracted considerable international interest and received favourable responses from many countries. OBOR is an important and comprehensive economic cooperation initiative proposed by China, as well as an important step for the country to further open up to the rest of the world. OBOR is expected to increase political communication, improve traffic infrastructure connections, enforce economic cooperation, enable unimpeded trade and currency flows and enhance friendly relations. Its main priorities are practical cooperation on the infrastructure, connectivity in general, trade, energy, environment-friendly sectors, financial services and the maritime sector. The ’16+1 Initiative’ is an important element of the OBOR initiative, tailored to comprehensive interconnectivity projects for the cooperation of sixteen Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) with China. It is in line with the macro regional development in Europe. Since last year’s EU‑China summit, it has also become an important element of the EU-China dialogue and cooperation. It is expected to increase the potential for strengthening, deepening and expanding the opportunities of EU-China collaboration, and provide mutual benefits and internal development of all participating countries. The Think Tank Network for research and views exchange of national and local government, business, ICT providers, diplomats and the academia is an important mechanism for innovative accelerated development of the 16+1 Initiative. There are several goals on its agenda. Overall, its most important task is to investigate why and how diverse organisations in the countries of the 16+1 Initiative could be involved, as well as how they could strengthen and further develop their relations, create synergy opportunities and identify challenges and opportunities ahead. A cross-border region, in which eTechnologies are extensively used, is considered as an eRegion. The borderless nature of eTechnologies allows and calls for new approaches to efficient and effective cross-border eCollaboration between the organisations within a specific macro region and between regions themselves. The interoperability of eRegions is a common challenge for all regions and is in the focus of the eRegions Think Tank . Follow-up event: 6th eRegions Conference 2016: Cross-border eSolutions & eServices Prototypes Development, to be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on 19 and 20 September 2016. Representatives of: Address by: Delegation of the People’s Republic of China Dr. Tomaž Amon, President Ms Jana Arbeiter Mag. Lubomír Bažant, Councellor H.E. Mr Zurab Bekaia, Ambassador Mrs Mirjam Bizjak, Principal Mrs Nurdan Çamlibel Aydin, Commercial Counsellor Ms Petra Cerjak, President Mr Mirko Cigler, Member H.E. Mr Pawel Czerwinski, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Dr. Dragan Čišić, Professor & Vice Dean for Research Dr. Slavica Ćosović-Bajić, Associate Professor & Dean Dr. Srečko Devjak, Professor & Dean Ms Silvija Fister Dr. Andrej Fištravec, Mayor Mrs. Carmen Florea, Deputy Head of Mission Mr Tamer Ghaly, Second Secretary Dr. Jože Gričar, Professor Emeritus Mag. Bojan Grobovšek, President Ms Špela Grum, Teacher of English Language Mag. Andreja Jerina, National Coordinator, EU Macroregional Strategies H. E. Mr Željko Jerkić, Ambassador Mag. Miha Ješe, Mayor Dr. Gorazd Justinek, Executive Director H.E. Mrs Serra Kaleli, Ambassador Mr Marko Kovačič, Adviser to the Mayor Mr Brane Krajnik, CEO and Publisher Dr. Jožef Kunič, Honorary President Mr Vojko Kuzma, Minister Plenipotentiary Mr Liu Haixing, Assistant Minister Mr Sergej Lugović, Lecturer Ms Elizabeth Mader, Political and Economic Counselor Mr Yoshiaki Makino, First Secretary Mr Darko Mali, Head, Research and Development Strategies Department Mrs Elizabeta Margitić Mihelec, Senior Associate of Department Mr Mitja Meršol, Member Mr Iztok Mirošič, Ambassador Mr Srđan Orlandić, Assistant to Ambassador Mr Anton Papež, Honorary Consul Mrs Simona Partlič, Advisor H. E. Dr. Anna Elisabeth Prinz, Ambassador Dr. Danica Purg, Professor & President H. E. Mr Pëllumb Qazimi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Mr Tine Radinja, Deputy Mayor Dr. Stanislav Raščan, Ambassador, Head Dr. Matevž Rašković, Assistant Professor & Confucius Institute Ljubljana, Slovenia & Visiting Scholar, Shanghai University of International Business & Economics (SUIBE), China Dr. Nataša Ravbar, Assistant Professor H. E. Mr Nexhmi Rexhepi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Mr Tomaž Rogač Mr Fotios Samelis, Senior Account Manger Mr Josef Samson, Attaché Mrs Klaudija Šadl Jug, Head Mrs Dagmar Šober, Economic Diplomacy Ms Mateja Štruc Mr Jernej Tavčar, Website Administrator Mrs Tina Tomšič, Marketing Dr. Duquan XIE, Professor H. E. Mr YE Hao, Ambassador Mag. Albin Vrabič, Principal Mr Andrej Vrčon, Secretary General Dr. Marian Záhora, Ambassador, Commercial and Economic Affairs Mr Rogers Zeng, CEO Mrs Suzana Zornada-Vrabec, Sales and Marketing Department Mag. Franc Žepič, Secretary, Priority Area Coordinator 1B of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region C o - o r g a n i z e r s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia
eRegions on the New eAmber and New eSilk Roads Think Tank
Center for European Perspective
Content
Invitation
Stanislav.Rascan@gov.si
University of Maribor, Slovenia & Program Coordinator, Inter-Municipality Initiative: Cross-border eCollaboration in the eRegions
Gricar@FOV.Uni-Mb.siConcept Paper for the Think Thank Meeting
Program
Center for European Perspective – CEP, Loka pri Mengšu, Slovenia
Statement
Participants
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Federal Republic of Germany, Georgia, Japan, Kosovo, Malesia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Turkey, United States of America
Ambassador of Georgia, Ambassador of Poland (attachments)
Presentation of:
Geopolitical Aspect, Georgia, Port of Koper, Multi-Country Study (attachments)
Mr LIU Haixing, Head of Delegation, Assistant Minister & Secretary General of the Secretariat for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries
Mr ZHU Qin, Deputy Director-General of the Department of European Affairs
Mr TIAN Yishu, Director of Division of the Department of European Affairs
Mr MA Qian, Second Secretary, Department of European Affairs, Secretary of the Head of Delegation
Mr ZHU Zhixue, Third Secretary, Department of European Affairs
Ms YANG Xiaoting, Interpreter
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Center for Scientific Visualization, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Tomaz.Amon@bioanim.com
Center for European Perspective – CEP, Loka pri Mengšu, Slovenia
Jana.Arbeiter@CEP.si
Embassy of the Czech Republic to the Republic of Slovenia
Lubomir.Bazant@MZV.cz
Embassy of the Republic of Georgia to the Republic of Slovenia
ZBekaia@mfa.gov.ge
Grammar School France Prešeren Kranj, Slovenia
Mirjam.Bizjak@GFP.si
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of Slovenia
Ljubljana@ekonomi.gov.tr
Slovenian-Chinese Association Ljubljana & Director, KADUCEJ Consulting Ptuj
Petra.Cerjak@Slo-Cn.si
Slovenian Association for International Relations
MMCigler@hotmail.com
Embassy of the of the Republic of Poland to the Republic of Slovenia
Pawel.Czerwinski@MSZ.gov.pl
Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Rijeka, Croatia & Contact Person, Rijeka iLiving Lab
Dragan@PFRi.hr
Polytechnic Zagreb, Croatia
SlavicaCB@TVZ.hr
MLC – Management nad Law College Ljubljana, Slovenia
Srecko.Devjak@MLCLjubljana.com
Slovenia Times
Silvija.Fister@gmail.com
City Municipality of Maribor – University City of Maribor, Slovenia
Andrej.Fistravec@Maribor.si
Embassy of Romania to the Republic of Slovenia
Embassy.of.Romania@siol.net
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Slovenia
TGhaly77@hotmail.com
University of Maribor, Slovenia & Program Coordinator, Inter-Municipality Initiative: Cross-border eCollaboration in the Danube eRegion & eRegions Think Tank Contact Person
Gricar@FOV.Uni-Mb.si
Slovenian Association for International Relations
B.Grobovsek@gmail.com
Secondary School of Technical Professions Šiška Ljubljana, Slovenia
Spela.Grum@SSTS.si
Minister’s Office, Ministry for Foreign Affairs Republic of Slovenia, European Policy
Andreja.Jerina@gov.si
Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Republic of Slovenia
AmbasadaBiH@siol.net
Municipality of Škofja Loka, Slovenia & Coordinator, eMunicipalities Without Borders Mayors Consortium
Miha.Jese@SkofjaLoka.si
Center for European Perspective – CEP, Loka pri Mengšu, Slovenia
Gorazd.Justinek@CEP.si
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of Slovenia
Serra.Kaleli@mfa.gov.tr
City Administration, Municipality of Maribor – University City of Maribor, Slovenia
Marko.Kovacic@Maribor.si
Slovenia Times
Brane.Krajnik@SloveniaTimes.com
Slovenian Association for International Relations
JozeKunic@telemach.net
Department of Strategic Planning and Analysis, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Slovenia & eRegions Think Tank Administrative Assistant
Vojko.Kuzma@gov.si
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China & Secretary General, Secretariat for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries
Polytechnic Zagreb, Croatia
SLugovic@TVZ.hr
Embassy of the United States of America to the Republic of Slovenia
MaderE@state.gov
Embassy of Japan to the Republic of Slovenia
Yoshiaki.Makino@mofa.go.jp
Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training & eCoordinator, Cross-border Grammar eSchools Collaboration
Darko.Mali@CPI.si
Sector for International Affairs, Croatian Chamber of Economy – County Chamber Rijeka
EMargitic@HGK.hr
Slovenian Association for International Relations
Mitja.Mersol@gmail.com
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Slovenia
Iztok.Mirosic@gov.si
Embassy of Montenegro to the Republic of Slovenia
EmbaMon-Lj@t-2.net
Consulate of Malaysia in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Papez.da@siol.net
City Administration, Municipality of Maribor – University City of Maribor
Simona.Partlic@Maribor.si
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Slovenia
GermanEmbassy-Slovenia@siol.net
IEDC-Bled School of Management, Slovenia
Danica.Purg@IEDC.si
Embassy of the Republic of Albania to the Republic of Slovenia
Embassy.Ljubljana@mfa.gov.al
Municipality of Škofja Loka, Slovenia
Tine.Radinja@SkofjaLoka.si
Department of Strategic Planning and Analysis, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Slovenia & Assistant Professor of International Security Policy, Graduate School of Government and European Studies, Kranj & eRegions Think Tank Chairman
Stanislav.Rascan@gov.si
Matevz.Raskovic@EF.Uni-Lj.si
Karst Research Institute, Scientific Research Centre, Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts, Postojna
Natasa.Ravbar@ZRC-SAZU.si
Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo to the Republic of Slovenia
Nexhmi.Rexhepi@rks-gov.net
Center for European Perspective – CEP, Loka pri Mengšu, Slovenia
Tomaz.Rogac@CEP.si
Huawei Slovenia Office
Fotios.Samelis@Huawei.com
Embassy of the Czech Republic to the Republic of Slovenia
Ljubljana@Embassy.MZV.cz
Mayors Office, Municipality of Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Klaudija.Sadl-Jug@Murska-Sobota.si
Embassy of the Czech Republic to the Republic of Slovenia
Dagmar_Sober@MZV.cz
Municipality of Škofja Loka, Slovenia
Mateja.Struc@gmail.com
Municipality of Škofja Loka, Slovenia
Jernej.Tavcar@SkofjaLoka.si
Alps Wine d.o.o. Petrovče, Slovenia
Tina.Tomsic@AlpsWine.net
Shanghai University of International Business and Economics & Chinese Director, Confucius Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia
arthurguo2@163.com
Embassy the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Slovenia
Kitajsko.Veleposlanistvo@siol.net
Mining and Environmental Protection School, School Centre Velenje, Slovenia
Albin.Vrabic@SCV.si
Center for European Perspective – CEP, Loka pri Mengšu, Slovenia
Andrej.Vrcon@CEP.si
Embassy of the Slovak Republic to the Republic of Slovenia
Marian.Zahora@MZV.sk
Huawei Slovenia Office
Rogers.ZengYongjian@Huawei.com
Port of Koper – Luka Koper, d.d., Slovenia
Suzana.Zornada@Luka-kp.si
Office for International Affairs, Ministry of Infrastructure, Republic of Slovenia
Franc.Zepic@gov.siAttached documents:
eRegions Think Tank 15March2016 invit Feb26
eRegions Think Tank 15March2016 Georgia
eRegions Think Tank 15March2016 Poland
eRegions Think Tank 15March2016 Georgia
eRegions Think Tank 15March2016 MultyCountry Study
eRegions Think Tank 15March2016 PortofKoper
eRegions Think Tank 15March2016 Geopolitical