Central and Eastern Europe Strategy Summit 2025

Hudson Institute’s Center on Europe and Eurasia will host its third Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Strategy Summit. Timed to coincide with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s spring meetings, the conference will give senior CEE and European Union officials an opportunity to discuss the business and economic climate of their region with an American audience.The summit also aims to reinforce ties between the United States and its Eastern European allies. While this year’s discussion will once again focus on geoeconomics, there will be an added emphasis on the importance of financing defense investment. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Hudson Institute’s Walter P. Stern Chair, will give the keynote address.Hudson thanks the Czech PPF Group for making this summit possible.Learn more: https://www.hudson.org/events/central...0:00 | Opening Remarks Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union, European Commission19:18 | A View from BelgradeAna Ivković, Vice-Governor, National Bank of Serbia44:35 | Central Europe as an Economic EngineDr. Lars-Hendrik Röller, Founder & Chair, Berlin Global Dialogue, former Chief Economic Advisor to Chancellor Merkel and G7/G20 SherpaPeter Rough, Director and Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute1:30:22 | Panel Discussion: Bolstering European Resilience Through InvestmentH.E. Dr. Anca Dragu, Governor of the National Bank of MoldovaH.E. Dr. Bogdan Ivan, Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, RomaniaAmb. Tomáš Pojar, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, former Czech Ambassador to IsraelH.E. Barna Tánczos, Minister of Finance, RomaniaModeratorMatthew Boyse, Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute2:36:59 | Lunch Discussion: The Transatlantic Partnership in a New EraAmb. Nikki R. Haley, Walter P. Stern Chair, Hudson InstituteJan Růžička, Chief External Affairs Officer, PPF GroupPeter Rough, Director and Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute3:15:21 | Ukraine as a Source of Economic and Security DynamismH.E. Dr. Yuriy Heletiy, Deputy Governor, National Bank of UkraineH.E. Dr. Olga Zykova, Deputy Finance Minister, UkraineLuke Coffey, Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute

Join Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg for a conversation with Hudson Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs. Minister Stoltenberg will provide remarks about the nexus between security and economic strength from a Norwegian perspective. Then he and Dr. Heinrichs will discuss the security environment for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the importance of economic security and alliance cohesion.

As the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, the Trump administration should reassess America’s approach to the country and US strategic posture in the region. At Hudson, General Jack Keane (Ret.) will deliver a keynote address. Then a panel of experts will discuss the future of Afghanistan and US interests in South and Central Asia.

Join Senior Fellow Michael Doran, director of Hudson’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, for an event with Bernard Haykel, a new Hudson senior fellow and a leading authority on Saudi Arabia’s political, societal, and religious landscape.They will discuss Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision for the kingdom, including his ambitious social and economic reforms. The event will also address the evolving geopolitical landscape of the Gulf region, the persistent challenge Iran poses, and China’s growing strategic presence in the Middle East.

On a near-daily basis, Chinese forces encircle Taiwan, interfere with Philippine fishing and shipping, and intrude on Japan’s territory. China’s leaders regularly threaten these United States allies with further escalation—including invasion—if they do not yield to Beijing’s demands. Fortunately, the new administration has made protecting US allies from China its top defense priority.But to do so while also seeking to rein in defense spending, the US will need to use emerging technologies and tactics that include uncrewed systems, new munitions, and cyber and electronic warfare. This will require the Department of the Navy to move away from traditional ways of fighting and embrace the approaches on display in Ukraine and the Middle East.Hudson Institute released a series of reports during the last year detailing how the US Navy and Marine Corps can regain the advantage against China. At Sea Air Space 2025, Senior Fellows Bryan Clark and Timothy A. Walton will discuss their findings with a panel of government and industry experts tasked with implementing these ideas.

In his new book On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization, journalist Douglas Murray examines the historical and ideological motivations that underpin the latest global wave of antisemitic violence. Using accounts of both survivors and perpetrators of the October 7 massacre, he pieces together the true story of those atrocities and their aftermath. He draws a clear distinction between Israel’s commitment to individual rights and democracy and Hamas’s glorification of death over life. In doing so, Murray demonstrates how misplaced Western sympathy for terror groups could undermine the liberal values these activists claim to support.Murray will join Hudson Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs for a discussion on his conversations in the Middle East, the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, and the historical and moral dimensions of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorists who seek to destroy it.

Stephen Miran, chairman of President Donald Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, will provide remarks at Hudson Institute and join Senior Fellow Thomas Duesterberg for a conversation on the administration’s economic agenda and the outlook for America’s trade partners. Chairman Miran will also discuss the intersection of trade and national security and global public goods provided by the United States.

Join Hudson for a discussion on European Union and United Kingdom competition and regulatory authorities’ increasing focus on digital platforms. Topics will include:The features of digital platforms that have attracted competition law and regulatory scrutinyReform initiatives including the UK Digital Markets Unit, and European Commission’s Digital Markets Act, and antitrust probes into big techEmerging challenges for defining and regulating digital platformsPolicy interventions relating to digital platforms outside of mainstream competition law

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum faces a formidable set of challenges with enormous stakes for the country. New American tariffs signal a turning point in supply chain integration with the United States and will disrupt Mexico’s most productive economic sectors. And although Sheinbaum has taken a stronger approach to organized crime by extraditing cartel leaders, increasing arrests, and seizing more fentanyl, the recent discovery of a mass grave of cartel victims underscores the country’s rule-of-law crisis.Join Hudson Institute for a panel discussion examining the potential scenarios for Mexico and the future of the US-Mexico relationship.

The Horn of Africa is one of the world’s most sensitive and strategic regions. It overlooks vital shipping lanes that connect Asia and Europe, shares a maritime border with the Middle East, and has thousands of miles of Indian Ocean coastline. The region is also home to Africa’s second most populous country, Ethiopia; one of the continent’s most important ports, Djibouti; and Chinese, American, and other military bases. But the Horn’s deep political tensions and history of conflict make it difficult to engage in effective diplomacy. Hudson Institute, in collaboration with the Israel-Africa Institute, is conducting a series of webinars analyzing this important region, especially the role that outside actors play.In this episode, experts discuss what regional powers such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, and Qatar are doing in the Horn, their strategies and motivations, and the impact they might have on the region.