TCF 2019

Regional Director for Southeastern Europe of Hanns Seidel Foundation

Klaus Fiesinger

Dr. Klaus Fiesinger is regional director for Southeast Europe of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. In this function, he is responsible for promoting the European idea, international dialogue, cross-border cooperation, political culture and civic education in new EU member states, candidate countries as well as potential candidate countries. Since 1992, he has been head of the Division for Central, East and Southeast Europe and Central Asia at the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Munich. Furthermore, Dr. Fiesinger is member of IDM, the Austrian Institute in Vienna for the Danube Zone and Central Europe as well as of “Südosteuropa Gesellschaft”. Dr. Fiesinger received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Munich. He is author of the book “Ballhausplatz – Diplomatie 1945-1949.” From 2004 until 2012, he was visiting professor at the Andrassy University in Budapest. Occasionally he gives lectures on Euro-regions, cross-border police cooperation and political education.

Executive Director, Cooperation and Development Institute

Krisela Hackaj

Krisela Hackaj is since 2011 Director of the Cooperation and Development Institute, an Albanian Independent Think Tank organization that focuses on research in regional cooperation, economic and social development dynamics and institutional governance. Her professional expertise covers EU cross border cooperation programmes and projects, national strategic framework monitoring and budgeting, and regional cooperation. Her main research topics relate to EU Integration process, regional cooperation, connectivity agenda and youth in the Western Balkans. She graduated in “Public Administration and International Organizations” at Bocconi University and holds a Master Degree in “International Career and International and European Institutions” from University of Parma. 

Coordinator of the Western Balkans Summit in Poznan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Wieslaw Tarka

Wiesław Tarka finished was graduated from Warsaw University in 1997 at the German Philology Institute. Later on, he pursued his MA studies at the Department of Modern Philology at Warsaw University. During 1988–1991 and 1996–1997, he worked as a research and teaching-assistant and as a lector of Swedish language. He worked at the embassy in Stockholm between 1991 and 1996 as the 2nd secretary of the Polish Mission and then during 1991-1996, Stockholm (vice-consul, deputy director Polish Institute, scientific secretary Polish Embassy. During 1998-2002 1st secretary Polish Embassy, Stockholm. He was back there between 1998 and 2002. From 2003 to 2005 he was head of the promotion and international cooperation unit at the self-government of the Mazowsze voivodship and the City Hall of Warsaw, deputy director of the Department of Culture of the City of Warsaw. In 2005, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Department of European Union.

Between 15 November 2005 and 20 November 2007 he was the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and Administration (in charge of: EU and international cooperation, migration policy, citizenship and repatriation, Office for Foreigners, cross-border co-operation and JHA). During 2008-2012, Ms. Tarka became Poland ambassador to Croatia. Later on, he served as Ambassador ad personam and during 2012-2015 he became the Director of the Foreign Service Inspectorate, MFA. Ms. Tarka served as Ambassador to Sweden for the period 2015-2018. And in 2018 European Policy Department, Western Balkans Summit Coordinator.

Mr. Tarka used to volunteer in the Electoral Bureau of the Civic Committee “Solidarity” in 1989 as well as worked for the Center for International Relations in Warsaw. He has been awarded the following state decorations: Order of Polonia Restituta, Knight’s Cross and Order of Duke Branimir, Croatia. Mr. Tarka speaks English, German, Swedish, Croatian, French, Russian.

Director General, Development Programs and Cooperation Unit, at the Prime Minister’s Office

Dr. Florensa Haxhi

Dr. Florensa Haxhi holds the position of the Director General of the Development Programs and Cooperation Unit, at the Prime Minister’s Office, and is responsible of drafting a number of national development programs in different sectors which are translated into concrete executable national strategic projects with a direct impact to the country’s economic growth. The last 2 years, she has also been the Program Manager of the Regional Economic Area, focused on the development of the Western Balkans region with the aim at developing an economic area where goods, services, people and knowledge move without borders. She is responsible for coordinating work with the relevant national and regional stakeholders involved, ensure a successful implementation of measures under the Multiannual Action Plan and contribute towards the drafting and signing of regional agreements.

She has earned a PhD Degree in Economics (Public Administration focus) from the state university in Albania; owns a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance (dual major) from the State University of New York and an MBA in International Finance from Ecole Superieur de Gestion (Paris Graduate School of Management).

Country Director, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

Frank Hantke

Frank Hantke owns a Master in Mechanics, German Language, Pedagogic (Teacher for Vocational Training)in 1983. Later, Mr. Hantke served as the Head of Department, Strategic Issues, HQ of German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) for the period from 1987 to 1989. Then, during 1995 – 1998, he was Head of Department for International Relations at DGB/ Since 1998, Mr. Hantke is an wxpatriate for Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in the following regions and countires: CEE, Poland, SEE, Serbia, (both regional); Country Director Afghanistan, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia – recently since 2017 Kosovo, before 2012 – 2017 Albania. Since 1974, Mr. Hantke is a member of  IGM (Metal-Union), later IG BCE (Mining and Chemistry Union) and since 1976 a member of SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany).

Executive Director at ICK

Uranik Begu

Uranik Begu | Currently highly engaged with other partners on enriching the Kosovo entrepreneurial ecosystem and supporting Innovation, through: – Running Innovation Center Kosovo as an Executive Director. Participant of several Strategy Development initiatives, initiated by OECD, Prime-ministers Office of Kosovo, Ministry of Economic Development and STIKK etc. Organizing Global Entrepreneurship Week Kosovo in partnership with Kauffman Foundation, Ambassador to Hello Tomorrow Challenge in Paris, Chapter Director of Startup Pristina powered by Google for Startups – Startup Europe Week – Kosovo Organizer – Startup Europe Awards Ambassador – CodeEU Week Ambassador – Global Ambassador at InBIA – World Bank Consultant.

Senior fellow at OSW

Marta Szpala

Senior fellow at the Department for Central Europe and the Balkans in the Centre for Eastern Studies. She specialises in the EU and NATO Integration of the Western Balkans, the social and political transformation of the Balkan States, civil society development in post-communist and post-conflict societies. She has collaborated with various Polish state institutions, the Schuman Foundation, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and think tanks from the Western Balkans. She is a guest lecturer at the University of Warsaw, the Diplomatic Academy and the College of Europe in Natolin. Marta Szpala coordinates main activities of the related to the organisation of experts’ meetings in the framework of Western Balkans Summit in Poznań.

Project Manager at Centre for European Perspective (CEP) in Slovenia

Meliha Muherina

Meliha Muherina holds a degree in International Relations from Faculty of Social Sciences, Ljubljana. She is employed as a Project Manager at Centre for European Perspective where she is working on regional development projects in the Western Balkans. CEP is responsible for management of official international development assistance projects by the Republic of Slovenia. She is also part of organizing team of Bled Strategic Forum, one of the leading political conferences in the region, where she is part of the team as a Programme Director of Young Bled Strategic Forum. Apart from that, Meliha also has extensive experience in research and dissemination for H2020 projects.

Head of Office, FES Tirana

Stine Klapper

Stine Klapper heads the office of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in Tirana. Previously, she led FES offices in Bangkok, covering Thailand and Cambodia, and Skopje and worked at the foundation’s Prague office. Prior to joining FES, she was Research Associate at Freie Universität Berlin, working at the Center for Transnational Studies, Foreign and Security Policy and focusing on Sustainable Development agendas and transformation research. She studied at Freie Universität Berlin, Columbia University New York and University of Osnabrueck and hold a Master’s degree in International Relations.

Head of Albanian Office of Konrad Adenauer Foundation

Tobias Rüettershoff

Since July 2019 Dr. Tobias Rüettershoff is the Director of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) office in Albania. Previously, he was a speaker for East Central Europe in the team Europe / North America. From June 2015 to March 2017 he worked as a desk officer in the Team Domestic Programs, at the Department for European and International Cooperation at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in Germany. Mr. Rüettershoff is a former KAS scholar and studied Political Science, Public Law and International Relations in Mannheim, Maastricht and Sheffield before earning his doctorate at the University of Exeter on US Security Policy. Before joining KAS, Dr. Tobias Rüettershoff was an intern at the German Bundestag, in the center Innere Führung der Bundeswehr and as research assistant at the University of Oxford.

Minister of Infrastructure and Energy of Albania

Belinda Balluku

Since January 2019, Mrs. Balluku is the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy of Albania. Mrs. Balluku, before her appointment as Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, from September 2013 held the position of Director General at ALBCONTROL JSC, the Air Navigation Services Provider of Albania.  Mrs. Balluku has extensive experience in the field of telecommunication, starting from November 2000. Mrs. Balluku has held senior management positions initially as Customer Care Director where she first created the Call Center service in Albania and soon after became Director of Marketing.  In 2004, Mrs. Balluku joined the staff of the Municipality of Tirana, initially as Public Relations Advisor and later as the Head of the Mayor’s Cabinet.  Since 2006, Mrs. Balluku has been a vital part of the Socialist Party. She has participated in election staff, has organized important political events and has served as the Head of the Mayors’ Cabinet during January 2011 – January 2012. 

Head of European Delegation to Albania

Ambassador Luigi Soreca

Since September 2018, H.E Luigi Soreca is the EU Ambassador, Head of the European Delegation to Albania. Prior to this appointment, Mr Soreca was Director for Security in DG HOME of the European Commission, with responsibilities in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation, organised crime, drug trafficking, corruption and cybercrime. He was in charge of the EU support for law enforcement cooperation at European and international level, and Member of the Management Board EUROPOL, CEPOL (police training) and EMCCDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction). In the Juncker Commission, he coordinated the services’ efforts for the preparation, adoption and implementation of the European Agenda on Security in April 2015. During the terrorist events in 2015-2017 in the EU, from this position, he has coordinated the EU policy response to the attacks in terms of new legislative and policy initiatives, including the preparation and adoption of the Directives on Terrorism, Firearms and Money Laundering, the Action Plan on Firearms and Explosives and the creation of the EU Counter-Terrorism Centre at EUROPOL. Luigi Soreca has overseen the work of the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) and was the Chair of the EU Internet Forum. In the area of drugs trafficking, he was also responsible for the EU Action Plan on drugs trafficking for 2017-2020. He was the Commission representative in the G7 Senior Officials “Rome-Lyon” Group, which deals with global terrorism and transnational organised crime. He also negotiated several international agreements on behalf of the EU with third countries, including with the USA on PNR and TFTP. During the migration crisis in summer 2016, he was appointed as Special Commission Envoy to Italy for the launch of the relocation process under Council Decision 2015/1523.

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council

Majlinda Bregu

Majlinda Bregu took office as the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council on 1 January 2019. From March 2007 to September 2013, she served as Minister of European Integration. Majlinda Bregu is the longest-serving Minister of European Integration in Albania. Mrs. Bregu has been elected as Member of Parliament of Albania, as a Democratic Party member (Centre Right), for three consecutive legislatures (2005-2017). During 2013– 2017 Mrs. Bregu initiated several legal initiatives against gender-based and domestic violence, which are currently in force. Majlinda Bregu was born in Tirana on 19 May 1974. Married and mother of two.

Lead Economist and Program Leader in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region of the World Bank

David M. Gould

David M. Gould is currently Lead Economist and Program Leader in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region of the World Bank.  David is the author of several books and peer reviewed journal articles on International Trade and Finance, Migration, and Economic Policy.  Currently, he is leading a study on the development impacts of technology as well as developing a blockchain application to support peer-to-peer risk mitigation in agriculture. During his past 16 years at the World Bank, he has led teams to deliver country development strategies and analytical and lending operations in Latin American, Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia.  He holds a Ph.D. in International Economics from UCLA and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder.  Prior to the World Bank, David served as the Director of Global Economic Analysis at the Institute of International Finance and Senior Economist and Policy Advisor at the US Federal Reserve.  He has held visiting research positions at the Central Banks of Mexico and Chile.

Chief Executive Officer and one of the Founding Partners of Abkons

Besnik Leskaj

Besnik Leskaj is the Chief Executive Officer and one of the Founding Partners of Abkons. He built and developed Abkons in 2005 and turned it into one of the most successful multi-disciplinary consultancies in Albania and Western Balkans. He oversees all areas of strategic planning, market assessment, public finance management, project management, institutional assessment and capacity building. He has acted project director for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline project, leading planning and execution and creating a framework for the first Land Compensation Study in Albania. He offers his regional expertise to various public and private entities, serving as an advisor for local business and sustainable development initiatives. Besnik holds a MA in Enterprise Economy the University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy and B.A in International Trade from Université Blaise Pascal Clermont Ferrand II, France.

Director General of Directorate for Energy and Energy Efficiency

Marko Radulovic

Marko Radulovic was born on 24 May 1977, in Podgorica, where he finished elementary and high school. He graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Podgorica, department for high voltage transmission. From 2002 to 2017, he was the technical manager in the Montenegrin company “Mezon”. From 2017 he was the Director General of the Directorate for Energy Efficiency in the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro, and since 21^st April 2019 he is Director General of Directorate for energy and energy efficiency. He is involved in the identification, analysis and proposition of technically possible and cost effective policies and measures for energy and energy efficiency, preparation of relevant legal framework, implementation and coordination of several incentive projects, cooperation with international organizations, encouraging and promoting activities directed to savings and other activities aimed at reducing negative environmental impacts caused by energy and energy conversions in energy consumption processes.

Assistant Professor for Energy Policy and Diplomacy at University of Potsdam

Mr. Matthias Dornfeldt

Mathias Dornfeldt is currently Assistant Professor for energy policy and diplomacy at University of Potsdam. He has worked for Aspen Institute Germany, Körber Foundation, UN, OSCE Presence in Albania, Council of Europe in BiH, IOM and the German Federal Foreign Office.

Electricity Expert for the Energy Community Secretariat

Arben Kllokoqi

Arben Kllokoqi is currently working as Electricity Expert for the Energy Community Secretariat, supporting market reforms in the Contracting Parties as well as implementation of market coupling, regional balancing mechanism in the WB6 and integration with EU energy market, with a strong emphasize on the sustainability agenda. He is active on designing a working solution and proposal for implementing CACM, FCA and other network codes and guidelines in the Energy Community, including also implementation of REMIT. With more than 15 years’ experience in the energy industry, he has previously worked for the Regulator and TSO in Kosovo* in defining and implementing market mechanisms and access to the grid, before joining a London based trading firm, EDF Trading, where he worked as Regulatory Advisor covering regulatory affairs across Europe. During his time at EDF Trading he was involved in a wide range of commercial and compliance activities, including direct involvement through EFET in different stakeholder groups and committees, in particular those related to designing and implementing the Market Network Codes which set the EU target model. REMIT and impact of Financial Regulation on commodity trading is also an area of expertise of A. Kllokoqi.

Special Project Director and Performance Monitoring at Aeroporti di Puglia S.p.A.

Patrizio Summa

Patrizio Summa is the Special Project Director and Performance Monitoring of Aeroporti di Puglia S.p.A. Mr. Summa is also Senior Business advisor in management, Innovation and financial development  in public administration and air transport.

Desk Officer in charge of Connectivity Reforms at Transport Community Treaty/ The Permanent Secretariat

Nerejda Hoxha

Nerejda Hoxha has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of transport and transport planning. She is an observer to PIARC Technical Committees on Road Asset Management and Adaptation Strategies/Resilience. She started her professional carrier as Project Manager for EU funded projects at Albanian General Road Authority to progress further in several positions as part of EU Technical Assistances teams to Ministry of Transport in Albania. She held the position of Transport and Mobility Director to Municipality of Tirana for 4 years. Further in 2015, she joined SEETO Secretariat, based in Belgrade in the position of Transport Planning Manager. Since May 2019, she was appointed as Desk Officer in charge of Connectivity Reforms within the newly established Permanent Secretariat of Transport Community Treaty.  She is responsible to oversee the development of TEN-T Networks in the Western Balkans, monitor the implementation of transport policies, connectivity reform measures and transport investments programs by fostering a regional approach to transport systems in the region.

EIB representative for Albania, Kosovo*, and North Macedonia

Alessandro Bragonzi

Alessandro Bragonzi is the representative of European Investment Bank, the EU Bank, in Albania since January 2019. He is responsible for institutional matters for Albania, Kosovo*, and North Macedonia and he is in charge of originating, structuring and executing public and private sector’s transactions in Albania, and with banks in the Western Balkans. He has been working at EIB since 2010 where he was responsible for lending operations with international financial institutions across CSEE (Austria, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey), and, previously, in the management and establishment of EU-funded financial instruments in different EU Member States cooperating with national authorities, the European Commission, and local financial intermediaries.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Independence Declaration

Secretary General, Regional Youth Cooperation Office

Đjuro Blanuša

Đuro Blanuša, before his appointment as RYCO Secretary General, served as a Senior Advisor with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Serbia in the Sector for International Cooperation and European Integration. He has a long track record of activism in civil society and the non-governmental sector with Save the Children and youth organizations. Mr. Blanuša was representing Serbia in the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ), the governmental partner in the co-management structures of the youth sector of the Council of Europe. He is a member of various regional and European expert groups in this field, and he was from the very beginning engaged as the governmental representative of Serbia in the process for the establishment of RYCO. He holds MA in Economics. He is married and has two children

Ambassador, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Tirana

Peter Zingraf

Peter Zingraf has started his appointment as German Ambassador to Albania in August 2019. He has been a career diplomat in the German Federal Foreign Office since 1993 and has served abroad in Rome, Warsaw, Dar es Salaam and Dublin. In Germany he has held positions in the Foreign Office in Bonn and Berlin and in the Federal President’s Office in Berlin.

Researcher, Academic, Activist, Oxford University, “Thurje” Initiative

Endrit Shabani

Endrit Shabani is a lawyer by training, but he gave up his Law career to pursue his graduate studies in Politics at the University of Oxford, where he studied with a full Clarendon scholarship. Endrit combines his academic career with an active role as part of the civil society in Albania. His teaching career in Tirana, Oxford, Cambridge and Paris, has exposed him to policy assessment and policy evaluation. Additionally, Endrit has consulted various international organisations such as the Council of Europe, the EU, UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA, Open Society Foundation and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation.  As a political activist, Endrit has long fought against corruption in Albania. As the leader of the National Youth Parliament, and later as representative of Transparency International in Albania, Endrit has led various civic initiatives aiming to promote the rule of law. Endrit’s activism is featured in many national and international media, including Financial Times, the BBC, Free Europe, Deutsche Welle, Miami Herald and the Voice of America. In recent years, Endrit has joined “Thurje”, which is a grassroot movement composed of young academics, lawyers, journalists, architects, medical doctors and artists. Over the past four years, From this September Endrit will lead a national campaign that will tour around Albania to discuss with the public the need for a substantial political transformation and to promote Thurje’s manifesto, Charter 2020.  

Head of the European Languages Desk at Deutsche Welle

Adelheid Feilcke

Adelheid Feilcke is Head of the European Languages Desk at Deutsche Welle since 2016. The European desk consists of nine East- and Southeast European language departments, including Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek, Macedonian, Polish, Rumanian and Serbian. Theses languages departments have a daily media outlet on different platforms such as online, radio, TV and Social Media. Adelheid Feilcke joined Deutsche Welle in 1992 and became the founding head of the Albanian Service. From 2005 to 2012 she was director of the International Relation Department at DW, from 2012 to 2014 head of the Culture Department and from 2014 to 2016 she headed the department of Strategic Partnership at DW. She has worked as a trainer for DW Akademie since 1995. She is an experienced reporter and editor on crisis and peace journalism. She studied cultural anthropology and has been involved in media since 1981. After obtaining her high school diploma, she obtained a vocational training at the Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag and then worked as an editor for the newspaper until 1984. She subsequently studied musicology, science of theater, film and television as well as anthropology in Cologne and as a DAAD scholar in Tirana, Albania. She obtained her master’s degree in ethnomusicology in 1990 and a second diploma in cultural management at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg in 1993. She worked also as a freelance journalist and cultural manager for regional and national radio stations such as WDR and for the State Music Council of Schleswig-Holstein (Landesmusikrat) before joining DW in 1992.

Communications and Project Assisant at Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Ema Dzejna Smolo

Recent graduate of Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo, with a BA in International Relations and Diplomacy (cum laude), that has been working for the FES regional office based in Sarajevo as a Communications (PR) and Project Assistant. Author of “(UN)Locking Youth Participation through the Education System”, as comissioned by Bosnia and Herzegovina Association for United Nations. Experienced in political analysis and reporting, equipped with management and communication skills.

Deputy Secretary General and Research Fellow, Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe

Dr.Florent Marciacq

Dr. Florent Marciacq is Deputy Secretary General and Research Fellow at the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe and Senior Fellow at the Centre international de formation européenne in Berlin and Nice. He is the cofounder and coordinator of the following think-tank track-2 initiatives: the “Western Balkans Reflection Forum”, launched in support of the Berlin process, and “Eastern Partnership Reflection Forum”, launched in Minsk in 2017. Florent Marciacq holds a Ph.D. in political sciences. He previously worked as an Associate Researcher at the European Governance Research Group of the University of Luxembourg, OSCE Researcher in residence in Prague and Guest researcher at the Austrian Defence Academy in Vienna. Florent Marciacq teaches European politics and regularly publishes academic peer-reviewed contributions, think-tank policy-papers and articles in the press.

Member of the European Parliament (EPP/SK)

Eduard Kukan

Eduard Kukan served as the Member of the European Parliament (EPP/SK) during 2014-2019. During the same period, Mr. Kukan was a Member of Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Security and Defence and substitute Member the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament. He also served as the Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia SAPC, and substitute Member of the Delegation to the EU-Albania SAPC; Member of the Conference of Delegation Chairs of the European Parliament. Mr. Kukan was a member of the European Parliament for the EPP/SK Group also during 2009-2014, a period in which he was a member of Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights and substitute member of the Committee on Development of the European Parliament. At the same time, he was Chairman of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo of the European Parliament; Member of the Conference of Delegation Chairs of the European Parliament.

Mr. Kukan started his Political career since the 1997 when he was the President of Democratic Union (DU) Party in Slovakia. He later served as the Vice-President of Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK) Party. Mr. Kukan is the founding member of the SDKU-DS Party in 2000 and he was a member of the Slovak Parliament (NR SR) from 2006 until 2009, when he became a member of the European Parliament. Mr. Kukan graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia in 1964 and earned his Doctor Iuris Degree at the Faculty of Law at  Charles University in Czechoslovakia. He was awarded as Honorary Professor, Petersburg State University, Russia in 2003 and Honorary Doctor of Law, Upsala College New Jersey, USA in  1993. Mr. Kukan speaks Slovak, English, Russian, Czech, Swahili as well as has an intermediate language level of Spanish and French.

Member of the European Parliament (EPP/Germany)

Knut Fleckenstein

Knut Fleckeinstein is a former Member of the European Parliament. He was part of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Delegation to the EU Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and to the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. 

During his professional career, Mr. Fleckenstein has worked as executive manager at Workers’ Samaritan Federation Hamburg (1994-2009) and has been a member of the executive board of HANSETRANS transport and logistics group.  Mr. Fleckenstein has served at the State Parliament of Hamburg as a Spokesperson and Head of Protocol, as well as spokesperson and Head of Cabinet of the Vice Mayor and as Head of European Affairs Department at the State Government Hamburg. He is Member of the SPD party since 1974, member of the Hamburg executive of the SPD and member of the European Affairs Committee of the SPD Executive since 2008. He is the founding President of Cultural Forum Hamburg, Partner and Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Ernst Deutsch Theatre Company Hamburg and member of the Executive for Social Democratic Cultural Forum Berlin and Bertini Prize Association Hamburg.

Senior Editor at EURACTIV

Georgi Gotev

Georgi Gotev is a journalist and entrepreneur, senior editor of EURACTIV.com and publisher of EURACTIV.bg. Bulgarian and Belgian national (Belgarian). Former diplomat, former spokesperson of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe.

Serial blogger: EUelectionsBulgaria.com, BulgarianPresidency.eu, Reuniting Europe. Considered as one of the 10 most influential journalists, according to the number of MEPs following him on Twitter. Pro-EU, pro-enlargement. Anti-corruption (promotes investigative journalism). Speaks Bulgarian, French, English, Russian Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian. Believes in networking and partnerships. 

Special Coordinator and Ambassador at Large for Connectivity, European External Action Service

Ambassador Romana Vlahutin

Ambassador Romana VLAHUTIN is a career diplomat. Before joining Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1999 she worked as an analyst for the Bassiouni UN Commission for former Yugoslavia, the UN Tribunal (ICTY) in The Hague and the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC. As a Croatian diplomat she served in embassies in Washington (Head of Political Section) and Belgrade (Deputy Ambassador), and as the Head of Strategic Analysis and Policy Planning at the MFA in Zagreb (2000-2004). She also served as a Political Director of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo (2006- 2007). From 2010-2014 she was the Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Croatia. Most recently she was posted as the EU Ambassador to Albania (2014-2018). As of 1 March 2019 she has been appointed Special Coordinator and Ambassador at Large for Connectivity in the European External Action Service.

Special Coordinator for the Berlin Process, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

Daniela Boudinova

Professional experience: Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Bulgaria in Skopje Brussels (NATO), Vienna (OSCE and UN) and Madrid Head of the OSCE and Regional Security Department, MFA – Bulgaria National Point of Contact to the EU Working Party on the OSCE and the Council of Europe Desk officer for Regional and International Security (arms control, non-proliferation, disarmament). National Point of Contact to the EU CONOP and COARM Working Parties, NPT, IAEA, CTBT Head of Unit at the European Integration Directorate, MFA – Bulgaria Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Chairmanship of the OSCE (2004) – Vienna EU Chef de File for Albania at the OSCE – Vienna Lecturer at the MFA Diplomatic Institute and Sofia Security Forum

Studies: PhD Research at the University of Corsica, France MA of European Studies from the College of Europe – Bruges, Belgium MA of French and English Philology from the State University of Sofia, Bulgaria George C. Marshall Centre of Security Studies’ Alumni.

Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Chief Technical Negotiator

Bojan Marichikj

Bojan Marichikj is a Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia for Euro-Atlantic Integrations, Berlin Process’ National Sherpa and Chief Technical Negotiator with the EU. In 2006, he graduated in International Relations at the Faculty of Law Iustinianus Primus, Skopje. As part of Netherlands’ MFA Scholarship Program, he obtained his MA in International and European Law at University of Amsterdam in 2009. Receiving Chevening Scholarship, Marichikj obtained MA in Contemporary European Studies from University College London in 2011. Marichikj has been а teaching assistant in EU Law at Faculty of Law Iustinianus Primus, project assistant on European legislation approximation project at Ministry of Interior, project coordinator and analyst in legal, public administration and EU programs at Foundation Open Society – Macedonia, research assistant on Fulbright Project at Brown University, USA, and Executive Director of Eurotink – Center for European Strategies.

Executive Director, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW)

Mario Holzner

Mario Holzner is executive director at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW) and responsible for general management, finances and personnel. He is also coordinating economic policy development and communication with a focus on European economic policy. He has recently worked on issues of infrastructure investment in greater Europe, proposing a European Silk Road. Mario Holzner is also a lecturer in applied econometrics at the University of Vienna, Department of Economics. He obtained his PhD in economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in 2005.

Senior Programme Manager at Friends of Europe

Amanda Nicole Rohde

Amanda Rohde manages the work of Friends of Europe’s Migration & Integration and Asia programmes. In addition to coordinating publications and debates, she regularly speaks at conferences and authors articles on key issues. Most recently, she co-authored a discussion paper offering recommendations for multilateralising connectivity efforts. Prior to joining Friends of Europe in 2016, she worked in the Research Unit of International Crisis Group in Brussels – tracking conflicts across Africa and Asia – and as a teacher in South Korea. Amanda holds a Master of Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, where she focused her studies on conflict and crisis analysis, and a BA in linguistics from the University of Florida. In addition to her native English, she speaks German and has also studied Swahili and French, among other languages.

Head of SWP Brussels Office

Dušan Reljić

Head of the Brussels office of Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), the German Institute for International and Security Affairs – Berlin, since 2013. Dušan works on international relations and security with focus on the EU, NATO and southeast Europe; democratisation, issues of transition in former socialist countries, nationalism and ethnic strife as well as political communication and media performance in situations of tensions and conflict

Deputy Minister, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania

Sokol Dedja

Since 30 January 2019, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in charge of accession of Albania to the EU, including the preparatory work for accession negotiations.

Mr.Dedja is a career diplomat who holds the diplomatic rank of Minister Counsellor. For sixteen years he has been dealing with Albania’s relations with the European Union. Mr. Dedja was the Director for EU Affairs (2016 – 2019). Between 2013-2016 he was the Head of Sector for Political Dialogue with the EU, Advisor in the Ministry for European Integration (2011-2013), Counsellor in the Mission of Albania to the European Union in Brussels (2006-2011), and expert of the EU Integration Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-2006).

Sokol Dedja holds a doctoral degree in political science (2012) from the University of Ghent, Belgium with a dissertation that examines the external impact of the EU immigration policy. He completed an M.A. in European Studies from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom (2003) and Bachelor in Modern European History (2000), University of Naples Federico II, Italy.

He has published articles on the topic of the external impact of EU policies in several international peer-reviewed journals, such as European Journal of Migration and Law, East European Politics and Societies, Journal of Southeast Europe and Black Sea Studies.

Head of Division OECD

Ms Marzena Kisielewska

Ms Marzena Kisielewska is the Head of Division for South East Europe in the OECD Global Relations Secretariat. She leads the Organisation’s regional program for South East Europe (SEE) working with six Western Balkan economies as well as with Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, and Romania, with a view to support the economic development and reforms in the partner countries.

Prior to joining the OECD in 2014 Ms Kisielewska was, since 1994, Polish civil servant working in the in the Prime Minister’s Office and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Intensively involved in policy design and coordination she served as, among other roles, Deputy Head of the Chief Negotiator’s team during the EU accession negotiations as well as the Head of Cabinet of several Ministers for European Affairs. She also worked in and closely cooperated with the EU institutions and agencies.

She is a graduate of the Catholic University of Lublin, the Georgetown University, and the University of Amsterdam as well as of the National School of Public Administration.

Director a.i. Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)

Steven Blockmans

Steven Blockmans is Director ad interim of the Brussels-based think tank CEPS and professor of EU external relations law and governance at the University of Amsterdam. He is the author of ‘Tough Love: the European Unions relations with the Western Balkans’ (AP 2007). His latest book, ‘The Obsolescence of the European Neighborhood Policy’ (RLI 2017), deals with the emergence of a more realist EU foreign policy as applied in its outer periphery. He is an editor of twenty academic volumes, including ‘The EU Role in Global Governance’ (OUP 2013), and a rapporteur for high-level task forces on ‘More Union in European Defence’ (Solana 2015) and ‘Regroup and Reform: Towards a More Responsive and Effective European Union’ (Huebner 2017). Steven has advised governments in Europe and Asia on their relations with the EU and is a frequent media commentator.

Aide to the Prime Minister of Albania and heads the Department of Transparency and Anticorruption (DATAK)

Pirro Vengu

Pirro Vengu is an Aide to the Prime Minister of Albania and heads the Department of Transparency and Anticorruption (DATAK), the Government’s internal control and administrative investigation unit. Vengu was educated in Paris where he studied Humanities and International Relations. From 2010 to 2013 he worked for the European Council on Foreign Relations, Europe’s pan-European foreign policy think tank. He subsequently returned to Albania where he served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013-2017) before joining the Prime Minister’s office to work on European integration and rule of law related reforms.

Professor of Law

Christophe Hillion

Christophe Hillion is Professor of European Law at the universities of Leiden and Oslo, research professor at the Norwegian Institute of International studies (NUPI) and senior researcher at the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (SIEPS). He has published on external relations and constitutional law of the European Union.

Director of Research, Cooperation and Development Institute, Tirana

Ardian Hackaj

Ardian Hackaj is the Director of Research at Cooperation and Development Institute – an independent Tirana-based think tank. He has authored research works on the Berlin Process, on youth, migration, connectivity and Belt & Road Initiative in the Western Balkans. During his career, Mr. Hackaj has held management positions at the College of Europe-Bruges, International Organization for Migration, United Nations, and the EU Commission. He holds an MA from College of Europe, a BA in International Economics from Université Lumière, Lyon II, and a University Diploma in European Studies from Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Lyon.