– Tomorrow’s defence, by AI
– Unveiling the Future: AI in Cybersecurity
– Digital communications in the age of AI
– Mastering the AI: ethic and legal considerations
– AI as enabler and challenger of societal resilience
– AI-enhanced education
– Round-table: AI in money laundering and crypto

The aim of the Conference is to address the complex impact of AI on the resilience of our society as a whole and explore the dual role that it has, of facilitator and disruptor, in domains like defense, communications, education, societal resilience, ethics and cyber. Objectives: In this regard, the conference aims to:

– Facilitate awareness about current trends in this domain and the actors involved in the process
– Stimulate the exchange of information on AI in specific domains, covered by the panels of the conference
– Create a collaborative environment/format between experts, developers and decision-makers in the field
– Share best practices and discuss principles in the ethical and safe use of AI
– Strengthen trust and relationships between stakeholders
– Identify the major vulnerabilities and opportunities in the context of AI development and potential large-scale use towards building resilient institutions and societies

Distinguished guests and speakers list:

* Ovidiu RAEȚCHI – President, Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre
* Amb. Ovidiu DRANGA – Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre
* Luca TAGLIARETTI – Executive Director, European Cybersecurity Competence Center
* Sorin–Dan MOLDOVAN – Chairperson, Committee for Information technologies and communications, Chamber of Deputies
* Gabriela RAMOS – Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO (video)
* Cristian SFICHI – Regional Managing Director for Romania , Ukraine & Caucasus, THALES
* Luciana MOROGAN – AI expert at European Defence Fund, DG DEFIS, EU Commission
* Isidoros MONOGIOUDIS – Project officer, European Defence Agency
* Dongyoun CHO, Senior Researcher, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
* Andrei MITRANA – Senior Cyber Security Manager, Human Capital at National Cyber Security Directorate
* Cătălina IOSUB – System engineer specialist, Palo Alto Networks
* Marianne LINDROTH – Project Manager, Aalto University
* Yugo NEUMORNI – President, CIO Council
* Nathalie VANDYSTADT, Policy Coordinator for relations and negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, DG CONNECT, European Commission
* Seizo ONOE – Director, ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
* Ioan DEMETER – Partner, Mware Solutions SA
* Major-General Mădălin MIHAI – Technical Deputy Director, Special Telecommunications Service
* Ciprian ZAMFIRESCU – Vodafone Romania
* Sabin DIMA – Founder & CEO, Humans.AI

• Besleaga Liviu – President RO-EU CCCR

International Mayors Summit (IMS), launched in 2016 in Ukraine as a knowledge exchange platform for local government leaders, became “more than a conference”, a place where projects and partnerships are born.

In navigating this challenging journey, Ukraine and Moldova have drawn closer to the European family they belong to, recognizing that local-level cooperation is integral to strengthening regional security and development efforts. Consequently, the 5th International Mayors Summit will take place in Moldova with the esteemed support of President Maia Sandu.

The annual Summit brings together prominent mayors from throughout the world, the business community, international organizations representatives and civil society to discuss solutions, innovations, best practices and cities’ success stories in various spheres. The Summit is organized by Western NIS Enterprise Fund. In Ukraine it was supported by the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Mayors and experts from the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, UK, UAE, Albania, Lithuania, Sweden, Poland, and Germany took part at the International Mayors Summit.

The Summit’s format allows participants to get knowledge and build a strong international network with prominent global leaders of urban transformation, join professional speed-networking sessions, test various solutions right on the spot, sign memorandums and launch special projects.

In this volatile world, influenced by pandemic, wars and global political and economic crises, mayors are at the frontline of urgent and necessary decisions, trying to coordinate with the central government, create partnerships with businesses, engage and convince the community.

Since February 24, 2022, Ukrainian city leaders have confronted a new and critical challenge in safeguarding their communities from the brutality of the Russian aggressor. Cities like Mariupol have been entirely devastated, while Kharkiv and Mykolaiv face incessant attacks, and Chernihiv, Irpin, and Bucha have endured devastating destruction. The enemy targets vital civilian infrastructure—hospitals, schools, kindergartens, roads, bridges, railway hubs, and stations. Security has emerged as a paramount challenge for Ukrainian cities nationwide. In the western regions, communities are diligently providing refuge for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and relocated businesses amid an uncertain period. Remarkably, international cooperation among communities has reached unprecedented levels, fostering unity around democratic, safe, and innovative development.

The overarching theme of the Summit is centered on the understanding that the reconstruction of cities is tantamount to the reconstruction of society. Accordingly, this Summit will focus on vital topics such as revitalizing cities, making them attractive to human capital, developing economic profiles, ensuring safety and growth, and introducing innovative solutions to fortify a human-centric approach to city development.

The current geopolitical implications for the region along with energy spikes and increasing food prices are driving the world to a multi-faceted crisis. Mankind is sailing through troubled and uncharted waters. Adding to the aforementioned challenges, there are also concerns on new refugee flows owing to the current conflicts and Europe’s security architecture.

Reinforcing Europe’s unity and solidarity in the midst of this turmoil is ongoing. Governments, institutions and civil society should cooperate more closely with key stakeholders in order to mitigate the current crisis, underpin social cohesion and achieve stability and recovery for Europe.

Against this setting, Romania has a strategic role to play as the country emerges as a key player for Europe’s collective security and NATO’s strategy with regards to Ukraine’s war with Russia. On the business front, Romania’s recent achievements in attracting strategic foreign investments and promoting innovation can serve as a role model and a positive narrative for other central and eastern European countries.

Discussion topics:

THE ECONOMIST’S FORECAST ON EUROPE’S GEOPOLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND EUROPE’S ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE

Joan Hoey, editorial director, The Democracy Index, Europe consultant, The Economist Group

ADDRESSING GLOBAL THREATS AT EUROPE’S FRONTLINE: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MULTILATERAL CO-OPERATION

• A new era of power politics?
• What can we expect about the rules-based international order?
• Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen: next steps to be taken
• Strengthening cross-border cooperation and integration

– Guy Verhofstadt, MEP, former prime minister, Belgium
– Sergei Stanishev, MEP, vice-chair, Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament, fmr prime minister of Bulgaria
– Traian Hristea, secretary of state for global affairs and diplomatic strategies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania
– Kathleen Kavalec, US ambassador to Romania

EUROPE’S STRATEGY FOR UNITY, SOVEREIGNTY
AND COHESION: WHERE DOES ROMANIA STAND?

– Mihai Alexandru Ghigiu, head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Romania
– Martin Schulz, former president, European Parliament, chair, Friedrich Ebert Foundation

FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROSPECTS FOR EUROPE IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF HEIGHTENED UNCERTAINTY

• The financial outlook for SE Europe
• Necessary reforms for a more resilient growth model
• Unlocking potential in the new business landscape through restructuring

– Marcel-Ioan Boloș, minister of finance, Romania
– Mateusz Szczurek, lead economist for central and south-eastern EU countries, EBRD, former minister of finance, Poland
– Paul Dieter-Cîrlănaru, CEO, CITR

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT & GROWTH IN ROMANIA AND THE WIDER REGION

• Sharing insight with the international institutions
• Financing strategic sectors through private equity instruments
• The investor’s point of view

–  Johan Meyer, CEO, Franklin Templeton Romania
– Andrei Cionca, CEO and co-founder, Impetum Group
– Stefan Kraus, chief operating officer, member of the executive committee, Henley & Partners

RE-INDUSTRIALISING EUROPE: STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AMID GLOBAL TRADE UNCERTAINTIES

• Policy framework for industrial development
• Romania’s industrial sector: an evaluation

– Ștefan-Radu Oprea, minister of economy, Romania
– Alin Marius Andrieș, secretary of state, Ministry of Finance, Romania
– Nikos Papathanasiou, VP public policy & economic research, Philip Morris International

WHY EUROPE NEEDS INNOVATION TO STAY COMPETITIVE

• Where do Europe and especially SE Europe stand?
• Leveraging tech to close the productivity gap

– David Born, director, Roland Berger Institute

TECHNOLOGY: WITNESSING A GREAT TRANSITION

• How are AI, innovation and digitalisation altering the business landscape?
• How does digitalisation affect regional and social inequalities?
• Investing in technology: Romania as a case study
• Tech disruption and geopolitical divisions

– Marius Viorel Posa, secretary of state, Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Romania
– Achilleas Kanaris, CEO, Vodafone Romania
– Iwona Sikora, senior vice-president and general manager, EMEA, Iron Mountain
– Kostas Loukas, EMEA regional general manager, Government, Microsoft

HOW CAN ROMANIA’S INFRASTRUCTURE ACCELERATE GROWTH IN TIMES OF GROWING CONFLICT?

• Assessing the consequences of the war in Ukraine
• The significance of concession agreements and PPPs
• Europe’s comparative advantages in the context of global antagonisms
• EU’s eastern partners: How can the EU increase its presence in the region?

– Ionut Savoiu, state secretary of transport and infrastructure, Romania
– Nikolaos Tachiaos, deputy minister of infrastructure and transport, Greece (via connection)
– Vicky Loizou, secretary-general of private investments, Ministry of Development, Greece
– Alexandros Exarchou, chairman of the BoD & CEO, Aktor – Member of Intrakat Group

CAN ENERGY SECURITY AND AFFORDABILITY GO HAND IN HAND?

• Green transition: challenges and complications
• Romania’s contribution to Europe’s energy security
• The role of hydrocarbons
• Which energy infrastructure projects are critical for the region?

– Matthew Baldwin, deputy director-general, DG Energy, European Commission (via connection)
– Boyana Achovski, secretary-general, Gas Infrastructure Europe
– Alessio Menegazzo, CEO & country manager, PPC Romania
– Christina Verchere, CEO OMV Petrom
– Ștefan Popescu, director of regulations and public affairs – Romgaz Black Sea
– Angelos Syrigos, associate professor, International Law & Foreign Policy, Panteion University, MP, Hellenic Parliament

CLIMATE CHANGE: TIME FOR ACTION

– Sir David King, chair, Climate Crisis Advisory Group, UK, fmr permanent special representative for climate change

SECURING A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

• Environmental policy and regulation for the green economy and sustainable development
• ESG for business leadership

– Mircea Fechet, minister of environment, waters and forests, Romania
– Catalina Marga, chief financial officer, RetuRO
– Alice Nichita, corporate affairs & sustainability director, Coca-Cola HBC Romania

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SE EUROPE IN TIMES OF GEOPOLITICAL TURMOIL

• Finding the opportunities
• Strategy for business ventures
• Enhancing connectivity and logistics
• The Mare to Mare project and its regional impact

– Pilar Solano, head of department, lending operations in central and south eastern Europe, EIB
– Victoria Zinchuk, director for Romania, EBRD
– Ramona Jurubiță, vice-president, FIC Romania
– Natalia Bejan, general director, Invest Moldova Agency
– George Kremlis, chair, Espoo convention, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, ambassador, European Public Law Organization, Bulgaria