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Europe – Asia Center

Europe-Asia Center: Discussing the New World at the Budapest Global Dialogue


Brussels, December 14th, 2024


On December 13th 2024, a high-level delegation of the Europe-Asia Center, consisting of its Co-Chair H.E. Erik Solheim and its Vice-Chair H.E. Madame Violeta Bulc, successfully participated in the Budapest Global Dialogue, organised by the Indian Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs.



Over the course of the day, around 50 discussants explored the crucial questions that confront policymakers, political leaders, and businesses today, in four round-table discussions:

  1. Healing Geopolitics: Rethinking Multilateralism, Plurilateralism and Nationalism

  2. Reclaiming Europe: Scripting Values, Interests & Propositions for the 21st Century

  3. Connecting the Dots: Energy, Technology, and Trade

  4. Bridging Hemispheres: Europe and the Global South.



Both Mr. Solheim and Madame Bulc served as initiators for the discussions on the topic "Connecting the Dots: Energy, Technology, and Trade," calling for more inclusive governance frameworks while cautioning against disproportionate securitisation strategies in technology and trade, urging decision-makers instead to stop fingerpointing to the Global South, treat Global South as partners and force mutually benefiting deals with China, India and the world, and focus on increasing productivity.




In addition, Mr. Solheim also participated in a side event on "Building Bridges: Infrastructure as the New Geopolitical Glue," moderated by Anahide Pilibossian, Vice President of Strategy and Development of the Armenian Applied Policy Research Institute, in which he discussed the ways infrastructure partnerships serve as a tool for geopolitical reconciliation and economic revitalisation.


Madame Bulc, drawing on her experience as former EU Commissioner of Transport and Mobility, participated in a side event on "Energising Aspirations: The Global Tug-of-War for Power," moderated by András Király, former Ambassador of Hungary to India, in which she and Michael Reynolds, Associate Professor at Princeton University, discussed the chances of returning to a global integrated energy market, and outlined ways by which nations can ensure energy security and affordable energy access amidst geopolitical tensions.


Other high-level speakers included Mr. Balázs Orbán, Political Director of the Prime Minister of Hungary; Mr. Samir Saran, President of the Observer Research Foundation; Mr. Gladden Pappin, President of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs; Mr. Janusz Kowalski, Member of the Polish Parliament; and Mr. Davit Karapetyan, Secretary General of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.






For press enquiries: 


Jonathan Schwestka, Director for Europe, Europe – Asia Center


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