News

Institute of World Policy held the 2nd Romanian-Ukrainian civil society forum in Kyiv on January 23-24th.The event is jointly organized by the Romanian Center for European Policies (Romania) and the Institute of World Policy with the support of UNDP.

Forum brought together civil society representatives from Ukraine and Romania striving to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries. This project is part of the process of sharing the Romanian expertise in the field of democratization and development policies with the countries of the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood.

Leading Ukrainian and Romanian experts and diplomats took part in the Forum: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007-2009) Volodymyr Ogryzko, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania (1989-1990) Sergiu Celac, Director of the Romanian Centre for European Policies Cristian Ghinea, senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation Vladimir Socor, research director of the Institute of Euro-Atlantic Cooperation Oleksandr Sushko, former EU High Level Adviser on customs issues Dorel Fronea, and others.
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The aim of the forum was to support expert networks in channeling independent expertise to decision-makers from Ukraine and Romania. The meeting participants have underlined the need of resetting and recalibrating the Romanian-Ukrainian relations by emphasizing the existing opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation projects. Building a Ukrainian-Romanian partnership based on a constructive dialogue is prevented by inaccurate stereotypes and misperceptions generating distrust and suspicion in bilateral relations. Willing to open and straightforward discussion, civil society representatives have tackled one of the most delicate issue of the bilateral agenda – national minorities situation.
Ukrainian and Romanian experts have paid special attention to the perspectives of Ukraine-Romania relations. Participants have agreed on the need of avoiding the exaggerating of the existing problems. Media stressing on these issues promotes the negative environment for the producing a good-neighborly relations and trans-boundary cooperation between both states. Experts have called for focusing on the non-conflict issues and directives of mutual interest.
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Viktor Shlinchak, Institute for World Policy and Dragos Dinu, Romanian Center for European Policies
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Vladimir Socor, senior fellow, Jamestown Foundation
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Dorel Fronea, former EU High Level Adviser on customs issues, former head of the Romanian Custom Service
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Corneliu Ionescu, Romanian Ambassador to Ukraine
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Sergiu Celac, senior adviser, National Centre for Sustainable Development, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania (1989-1990)
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Ion Stavila, Moldavian Ambassador to Ukraine
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Alyona Getmanchuk, director of the IWP
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Volodymyr Ogryzko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007-2009) and Tetyana Kudina, Project Coordinator, UNDP
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Oleksiy Semeniy, “United World” International Foundation and Cristian Ghinea, director of the Romanian Center for European policies
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Lenid Litra, Senior fellow, IWP
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Olga Chubrykova –MFA of Ukraine
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Oleksandr Sushko, research director, Institute of Euro-Atlantic Cooperation
The first edition of the Civic Forum (Bucharest, 24-25 May 2012) was a groundbreaking initiative aiming at boosting bilateral relations between Romania and Ukraine, connecting networks of experts from the two countries, hence attempting to engage the civil society in identifying concrete proposals and areas of cooperation for Bucharest and Kiev.