1st EaP CSF Civil Society Summit

• Ms Martina Schubert, Deputy Director of the Vienna School of International Studies 
• Mr Klaus Kögeler, Minister Plenipotentiary, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria
• Mr Lasha Tughushi, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum 
• Ms Tania Marocchi, Director, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Secretariat 
• Moderator: Ms Elen Manaseryan, EaP Coordinator, EaP CSF Working Group 5, Steering Committee member 

• Mr Anton Antonenko, Vice President and Co-Founder, DiXi Group 

The EaP CSF Civil Society Award is an honorary award for civil society organisations and activists that recognises leadership and achievements in upholding EU fundamental values and principles in the EaP region. 

• Mr Andrei Bastunets, Chairman, Belarusian Association of Journalists, 2023 Awardee 
• Ms Tania Marocchi, Director, Secretariat of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum 

Plenary room

• Moderator: Ms Elen Manaseryan, EaP Coordinator, EaP CSF Working Group 5, EaP CSF Steering Committee Member

Plenary room

Welcome remarks

Presentation of the EaP CSF Civil Society Summit resolution.

• Mr Lasha Tughushi, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum 

Opening speeches

• Mr Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission (video address) 
• Mr Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement (video address)
• Mr Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
• Ms Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Leader of the Belarusian Democratic Forces
• Mr David Usupashvili, Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Georgia  

Plenary room
Over the last years, the Eastern Partnership (EaP) has confirmed its multi-speed trend. Opening accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine accelerated the internal reform agenda of both countries. The Georgian government’s crackdown on civil society threatened the country’s EU path, while Armenian authorities are more actively articulating the country’s EU integration aspiration. At the same time, the new EU Institutions resulted from first European elections since Russia’s full-scale invasion may lead to an updated EaP agenda. Ahead of the Eastern Partnership Summit, will the EU Institutions accelerate the EaP policy while working at different speeds within the EaP policy?

• Ms Adrienn Kiraly, Director, Neighbourhood East and Institution Building (NEAR.C), Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), European Commission
• Mr Michael Siebert, Managing Director for Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, regional cooperation and OSCE (EURCA), European External Action Service 
• Mr David Usupashvili, Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Georgia 
• Mr Franak Viacorka, Chief Advisor to Ms Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
• Ms Liliana Palihovici, President, Public Association “Institutum Virtutes Civilis”; Co-Chair,  EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform   
• Discussant: Mr Yaroslav Bekish, Coordinator, Green Network
• Moderator: Mr Pavel Havlicek, Research Fellow, Association for International Affairs (AMO) 

Enjoy provided coffee, tea and refreshments.

Plenary room.
The rule of law, human rights, functioning of democratic institutions, reform of public administration, economic criteria, among others, are the core of the ‘fundamentals’ of the EU accession process. Its progress determines the overall pace of accession negotiations for the countries on the EU accession path. Nevertheless, supporting the ‘fundamentals’ remains a priority in all EaP countries. How will the EU continue to uphold its fundamental values with both EaP countries on the enlargement path and those that do not currently seek strong EU integration? How can civil society and democratic forces contribute to bolstering the rule of law reforms towards a democratic transformation in all EaP countries? What support do they need to do so? How can the experience of Western Balkans be used in the EaP context?  

• Ms Ina Coșeru, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Policy and European Integration, Parliament of the Republic of Moldova 
• Mr David Cullen, Deputy Director, Head of Unit, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus & Eastern Partnership Coordination, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), European Commission  
• Mr Reinout Dekkers, Special Representative for the EU Eastern Partnership, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands 
• Mr Vladzimir Astapenka, Representative for International and European Cooperation, Head of Mission, Mission of Democratic Belarus, Brussels 
• Ms Shahla Ismayil, National Facilitator, EaP CSF Azerbaijani National Platform 
• Moderator: Ms Anh Helge, EU Coordinator, EaP CSF Working Group 1 

Enjoy the lunch provided at the venue.

Plenary room

The South Caucasus is navigating geopolitical challenges between European aspirations and shrinking of civic space. The survival of democratic actors is at risk in Azerbaijan ten years after the crackdown on civil society and on independent media. Furthermore, the decision of the European Council to grant Georgia candidate status inspired many in Armenia, who looked at Georgia’s Europeanisation with hope. Nevertheless, smear campaigns targeting civil society by the Georgian government raised questions regarding the maturity of the Georgian democracy and jeopardised the country’s EU path. For their part, the Armenian authorities are actively putting efforts to bring the country closer to the EU. The recently launched negotiations for a new EU-Armenia Partnership Agenda go in that direction and will establish more ambitious joint priorities. 

How do developments in Georgia affect the South Caucasus region and its democratic aspiration? How can the Eastern Partnership support Armenia’s European aspirations while stimulating democratic changes in the whole region?

• Mr Michael Siebert, Managing Director for Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, regional cooperation and OSCE (EURCA), European External Action Service 
• Mr Samvel Mkrtchyan, Director of the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia 
• Mr Mantas Jakimavičius, Director of the Eastern Neighbourhood Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania and Lithuania’s Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership.
• Ms Nino Chkhobadze, Chairwoman, EaP CSF Georgian National Platform 
• Mr Ziya Guliyev, Founder, Law Society of Azerbaijan 
• Moderator: Mr Irakli Jgharkava, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia coordinator, European Association for Local Democracy    

Enjoy provided coffee, tea and refreshments.

All sessions are discussed under Chatham House rule.

Session 1 – Room Sigmund Freud 2
Is the EaP armed against cyber-attacks? Defence and security in the age of hybrid threats 
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led to an increasingly challenging security environment in the EaP region. The EU intensified dialogue on security and defence topics to better address shared challenges and strengthen EaP countries’ resilience. This encompasses a broader range of areas of cooperation, including countering hybrid threats and cyber issues. In July 2024, for the first time, the EU decided to support Armenia from the European Peace Facility. Moreover, the May 2024 Security and Defence Partnership signed between the EU and Moldova goes in the direction of strengthening cyber resilience, including through cyber capacity building and rapid response assistance. Could it serve as an inspiration for other EaP countries? How can such bilateral agreements contribute to the overall security of the EaP?   

• H.E. Victoria Roșa, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Republic of Austria, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the OSCE 
• Mr Kornely Kakachia, Director, Georgian Institute of Politics; Professor, Jean Monnet Chair, Tbilisi State University 
• Ms Yuliana Shemetovets, Spokesperson, Belarusian Cyber Partisans  
• Moderator: Mr Hovsep Khurshudyan, President, “Free Citizen” Civil Initiatives Support Center  

Session 2 – Room Sigmund Freud 1
Beyond pipelines and freight trains: Boosting connectivity in the EaP region 
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been a catalyst for enhanced trade, transport, and energy connectivity between the EU and several EaP countries. Notably, energy interdependence grew between the EU, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Consequently, Ukraine and Moldova strengthened their energy security resilience. Furthermore, connectivity via the revitalisation of trainlines for freight between Moldova and Ukraine and onwards to the EU, as well as the development of the East-West middle corridor’s sea and land routes, have positively impacted the mutual improvement of EaP and EU trade and transport resilience. How can post-2025 EaP policy further enhance EaP countries’ dialogue? How can stronger regional cooperation contribute to strengthen resilience of the EaP countries?  

• Mr Severin Strohal, Deputy Head of Unit, Georgia, Moldova, Economic and Investment Plan, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), European Commission
• Mr. Samvel Mkrtchyan, Director of the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
• Mr Marcin Kacperek, Head of Connectivity Unit, Economic Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland 
• Mr Elkhan Mehdiyev, Chair, Peace and Conflict Resolution Center of Azerbaijan 
• Mr Ruslan Havrilyuk, National Facilitator, EaP CSF Ukrainian National Platform
• Moderator: Ms Liliana Palihovici, President, Public Association “Institutum Virtutes Civilis”; Co-Chair,  EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform

Session 3 – Plenary room
Blowing the whistle: how civil society brings authorities’ wrongdoings to light.
Civil society’s role is fundamental to contribute to the checks and balances underpinning anti-corruption mechanisms. In several EaP countries, independent journalists and civil society representatives investigating high-level corruption have been arrested or are under investigation for having reported abuse of power, active and passive bribery, and other corruption offences. How can civil society keep holding authorities accountable and report on such cases, especially in times of democracy deficiencies while remaining safe?  

• Mr Levon Barseghyan, Chairman, Journalists’ Club “Asparez”, Armenia
• Ms Oxana Brighidin, Justice and Anti-Corruption Programmes Officer, Soros Foundation Moldova
• Mr Ucha Nanuashvili, Founder, Democracy Research Institute and Vice-President, International Federation of Human Rights, Georgia
• Mr Andrii Biletskyi, Anti-corruption expert, Ukraine
• Moderator: Mr Peter Varga, Lead, Eastern Partnership, Open Government Partnership 

Session 4 – Room Stefan Zweig
“But I saw this on social media”: How civil society counters propaganda and disinformation
2024 has been an election year for several EaP countries. Election campaigns were marked by attempts to destabilise free and fair election process, with disinformation and campaigns discrediting the EU being spread via diverse channels, including online. This led to an increasing polarisation of the society ahead of key elections in the EaP countries. While civil society therein spoke out about these attempts, they did not operate in a secure and enabling environment. How can EU institutions, governments and civil society work more effectively together to fight propaganda and disinformation safely and effectively? What counter narratives could be developed to counter anti-Western and anti-EU rhetoric? 

• Ms Bianca Anechitei, Programme Manager, Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), Foreign Policy Instrument, European Commission
• Mr Ion Manole, Executive Director, PromoLex 
• Ms Nona Mikhelidze, Senior Fellow, Istituto Affari Internazionali 
• Ms Liza Bezvershenko, Advocacy Lead, Promote Ukraine
• Moderator: Ms Veronica Ștefan, EU Coordinator, EaP CSF Working Group 2 

Session 5 – Room Sigmund Freud 3
Energy at any cost: The challenges of new energy corridors in the EU and EaP region
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, facilitating energy connectivity became a part of the EU’s response to mitigate the effects of the war of aggression, which triggered concern over the EU’s energy security. Azerbaijan will double its gas exports to Europe by 2027, making it a major contributor to Europe’s energy security. Civil society raised serious questions concerning the upholding of EU democratic values and human rights within such partnerships. Notably, despite the recently signed EU-Azerbaijan strategic energy partnership, Baku has shown consistent dealignment with such values, holding political prisoners, human rights defenders, and journalists unjustly behind bars. In light of Baku’s UN Climate Change Conference Cop29, what are the upcoming challenges and risks to the EaP energy security? How can energy cooperation be enhanced while ensuring environmental values and human rights are being upheld? 

• Mr Predrag Grujicic, Head of Gas Unit, Energy Community 
• Mr Anton Antonenko, Vice President and Co-Founder, DiXi Group  
• Mr Emin Huseynov, Founder and Board Member, Human Rights Club
• Ms Lana Willebrand, EU Coordinator, EaP CSF Working Group 5
• Moderator: Ms Ana Otilia Nuțu, Expert Forum, Romania     

“Those tempered at daybreak: LGBTQ+ eyewitness reports of the war in Ukraine” by the Gay Alliance Ukraine Odesa, to be officially opened in the Foyer.

Curator: Ms Yevheniia Kvasnevska  

Room Stefan Zweig: Confirming European aspirations. Ask the people! 

In the context of political turmoil and geopolitical complexity exacerbated by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European aspirations need to gain momentum in Armenia, Georgia and Republic of Moldova. A constitutional referendum on EU accession was held in Moldova in October, while in Armenia a democratic platform of pro-Western political and civil society forces has started collecting signatures calling on the Armenian Government to launch the process of application for EU membership. In the meantime, in Georgia, citizens, civil society and pro-Western opposition took the streets to protest against the Foreign Agent Law and results of October’s parliamentary elections, which both posed a threat to the European aspirations of the Georgian citizens.  

Are democratic referenda the right means to reassert the European aspirations of the people? What are the similarities and differences in Armenia, Georgia and Moldova?

• Mr Lasha Tughushi, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
• Mr Ion Manole, Executive Director, Promo-LEX
• Mr. Edgar Khachatryan, President, NGO Peace Dialogue, National Facilitator of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Armenia National Platform
• Mr Andrea Raimondi, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
• Moderator: Ms Lousineh Hakobyan, President Europe in Law Association NGO, Co-Chair of the CEPA Civil Society Platform

Rooms Sigmund Freud 2: Benefits and obstacles to the circular economy for SMEs in the Eastern Partnership countries 

The transition to circular economy models is becoming global in nature, and the benefits of implementing this concept are becoming increasingly obvious. To achieve a fully circular economy, circularity and sustainability shall be part of all stages of a value chain. Many countries have begun to actively use various instruments and mechanisms of public policy to reduce waste and make products more sustainable: from the introduction of new technologies, financing and forms of doing business, to the formation of the readiness of society as a whole to change their habits and create new patterns of interaction.  

What are the experiences from the EaP countries in developing a model based on circular economy, from design to production of products and their consumption? What are the barriers that limit access to bank financing of circular projects and, as a result, hinder their implementation?

• Mr Karen Chilingaryan, Chairperson of Consumer  Consulting Center 
• Mr Samir Aliyev, Head of Center For Support For Economic Initiatives, Azerbaijan 
• Ms Ludmila Karaman, Coordinator of the Association of Professionals and Businesses, Moldova 
• Ms Larysa Starikova, Head of the board of Analytical Center of Agrarian Union of Ukraine
• Mr Eduards Filippovs, Head of Business Union of Latvia
• Mr Dariusz Prasek, International expert in the field of circular economy
• Ms Mariam Kimeridze, Chairperson of GSNE “Oechis”
• Moderator: Ms Nino Elizbarashvili, EaP CSF Steering Committee Member

Plenary room: State policy evaluation: a must-have for EU accession countries 

Following the first intergovernmental conferences with Moldova and Ukraine in June 2024, the screening process is progressing, the opening of negotiations on the fundamentals cluster is expected to be in 2025. The effectiveness of the state policy is a crucial element within the analytical examination of the EU acquis. Both countries have to demonstrate transparency, accountability, and effectiveness of their policies which is possible only with proper monitoring and evaluation system in place. In this regard, civil society has an important role to play. Despite Georgia’s candidate status, the Georgian government’s intensified crackdown on civil society in the context of the Foreign Agent Law have hampered civil society’s ability to exercise its functions and directly jeopardised the country’s path towards the EU. 

In the context of the monitoring and evaluation process, what are the challenges faced by civil society in Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia? What is the role of civil society in this process and good practices in order to strengthen monitoring and evaluation of the state policy on those countries?

• Ms Olha Krasovska, Ukrainian Evaluation Association 
• Ms Tamara Malkova, ICO Information Center “Green Dossier” 
• Mr Sergiu Gurau, Eco-Razeni Association, EaP CSF Steering Commitee Member
• Mr Konstantin Zhgenti, Association of Business Consulting Organizations of Georgia, EaP CSF Steering Commitee Member 
• Moderator: Ms Iryna Kuropas, Project Manager of LEDA, Ukraine

Room Sigmund Freud 3: Engaging citizens and communities in rebuilding a pro-European Ukraine 

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, involving communities and citizens in the European integration process and post-war recovery of the country remains crucial. Communities, citizens and young people are active stakeholders in these processes; nevertheless, they encounter challenges and difficulties in leveraging public support. Public opinion polls, citizens’ attitudes towards environment, climate change, energy reforms, European integration and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, among others, represent relevant means towards a full involvement of people and communities. 

What role can citizens and communities play in the reform process of Ukraine? What are the main challenges for their effective involvement? How the EaP policy can help better involve communities as main stakeholders in the process of European integration and post-war recovery of Ukraine?

• Ms Monika Figaj, Climate and Just Transition Expert, Energy Community Secretariat 
• Ms Nataliya Andrusevych, Chair of the Governing Board, Resource and Analysis Center “Society and Environment” 
• Ms Tetyana Tymoshenko, President of Ukrainian Federation of employers in tourism
• Ms Nataliia Nauchu, expert in renewable energy and sustainable development, National Ecological Center of Ukraine
• Mr Ruslan Havryliuk, National Facilitator, EaP CSF Ukrainian National Platform
• Moderator: Mr Anton Antonenko, DiXi Group  

Enjoy provided coffee, tea and refreshments.

Session 1 – Plenary room
30 in 2030? Assessing EU enlargement in the EaP region
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led the European Union to fast-track accession talks with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Last year’s decision of the European Council to open accession negotiations with the two countries marked a landmark moment for their citizens. At the same time, it led the two countries to accelerate their internal reform agenda. Negotiations on specific chapters are taking place within the framework of the Intergovernmental Conference. At what stage of the negotiations are Moldova and Ukraine in the road to the EU integration? 

Introduction by Mr Stanislav Linchevsky, Policy Advisor, European Office, Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung European Office.

• Mr David Cullen, Deputy Director, Head of Unit, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus & Eastern Partnership Coordination, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), European Commission 
• Mr Oleksandr Irkhin, Deputy Head of Mission of Ukraine to the Republic of Austria  
• Mr Tomasz Wiśniewski, Head of the ENP Unit in the Department for EU External Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland
• Ms Vera Ben Bouzid, Desk Officer, Department on EU enlargement of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria
• Mr Kakha Gogolashvili, Director of European Studies, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies 
• Moderator: Ms Nataliya Andrusevych, EaP Coordinator, EaP CSF Working Group 3

*This panel is organised in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung European Office. 

Session 2 – Room Sigmund Freud 3
Can we bridge the gender gap? One year of dedicated work on gender equality in the EaP region 

Over the past decade, Eastern Partnership countries have made progress in various aspects of gender equality.  Including  the development and approval of legislative frameworks for gender equality, and action plans for reducing inequality in all the six countries. However, while most partner countries have limited tools and capacities to implement key commitments, others lack the political will to do so. Furthermore, gender mainstreaming in sectoral policies remains suboptimal across the EaP region, which is evident in most of the national and regional policies. 

In order to better achieve the Eastern Partnership priority aims for gender equality and enhance the implementation of gender equality across all five long-term priorities, a Working Group for Gender Equality was created in 2023 in the frame of Eastern Partnership. 

Panellists will share their experience into the policy-oriented debates on gender-based violence and the Istanbul Convention, the gender pay and pension gap, as well as the care economy and gender inequality. Panellists will then set priorities for gender-oriented policies in the EaP countries. 

• Ms Radica Nusdorfer, Head of Governance Sector, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), European Commission  
• Ms Christina Johannesson, Sweden’s Ambassador for the Eastern Partnership  
• Ms Shahla Ismayil, National Facilitator, EaP CSF Azerbaijani National Platform 
• Ms Julia Mickiewicz, Chairperson, EaP CSF Belarusian National Platform 
• Moderator: Ms Nvard Manasyan, Coordinator, Coalition to Stop Violence against Women 

Session 3 – Room Stefan Zweig
How to keep authorities accountable amidst crackdowns  
Within the EaP region, the enabling environment for civil society has particularly shrunk in three countries. Examples of weaponised legislation have hampered the ability of civil society to exercise its functions and, in some cases, affected their financial sustainability or led to their de-registrations, their leaders’ imprisonment and ultimately, their annihilation. As agent of change able to keep authorities accountable, civil society needs an enabling environment to operate in, supported by authorities ready to engage in a constructive dialogue.

• Mr Eduard Auer, Head of Division, Regional Eastern Partnership, Regional Cooperation and OSCE (EURCA.CARO.1), European External Action Service 
• Ms Liubou Lanina, Viasna Volunteer Service Coordinator, Viasna Human Rights Center  
• Mr Fabian Alexander Schöppner, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Political Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen 
• Ms Syuzanna Soghomonyan, Programme Coordinator, Armenian Lawyers Association
• Moderator: Ms Simona Ognenovska, Research and Monitoring Expert, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law     

Enjoy provided coffee, tea and refreshments.

Plenary room

Announcement of the EaP CSF Compliance Committee elections held on 19 November. Reflection on the discussions held at the Summit and way ahead. 

• Mr Lasha Tughushi, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum 
• Ms Tania Marocchi, Director, Secretariat of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum 
• Moderator: Ms Elen Manaseryan, EaP Coordinator, EaP CSF Working Group 5, Steering Committee member