Between 28-30 September 2017, took place the second edition of the Bucharest Security Conference, the largest conference on security and defense issues in Romania and among the most important in Central and Eastern Europe. The event, organized by the National School of Political Science and Public Administration (SNSPA), brought together experts, academia, European and transatlantic leaders, politicians and business representatives and offered for a few days an excellent space for debate, analysis and expertise in the field of security and defense, focusing on the risks and challenges existing on the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union.
Among the participants were: Remus Pricopie (Rector, SNSPA), Mugur Isărescu (Governor of the National Bank of Romania), Vasile Secăreș (Founder and Former Rector, SNSPA), Ioan Mircea Pașcu (Vice President of the European Parliament), Teodor Viorel Meleşcanu (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania), Przemysław Żurawski vel Grajewski (Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland), Jonathan Eyal (International Director, Senior Research Fellow, Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies), Sorin Ducaru (Assistant Secretary-General, Emerging Security Challenges, NATO), Janusz Kowalski (Founder, Warsaw Institute, Poland), Călin Rangu (Director, Financial Supervisory Authority, Romania), Maia Sandu (President, Action and Solidarity Party, Republic of Moldova), Kevin J. Scheid (General Manager, NATO Communications and Information Agency).
The conference analyzed NATO’s actions and regional formats of cooperation such as B9 and 3SI, being the first one to assess the security implications of the 3SI.
It also proposed a Policy Report which underlines the necessity to rethink the priorities in relation to the security and defense agenda of the “Eastern flank”, as the existing security threats affect NATO and EU Member States differently. The document highlights that the security and defense agenda of the “Eastern flank” should take into account that the East (the Wider Black Sea Area) and South (the South East Europe) cannot be seen “as distinct entities”.
The US decision to continue to sustain the current system of alliances in Europe is considered to be crucial but the Report emphasizes that the allies should commit to maintaining the present effort to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence posture in Europe, to developing the necessary solutions in order to enter a new stage of cooperation between NATO and the EU, and to moving forward with the EU plans to adjust its Common Security and Defence Policy to the present threats.