- May 20, 2019
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- March 17, 2025

On May 20th, 2019, the Aspen Institute Germany hosted a discussion on “Core & Periphery: Germany and its Eastern Neighbors – before Brexit und the European Elections”. The event began with an input statement by H.E. Emil Hurezeanu, Ambassador of Romania in the Federal Republic of Germany, and welcome remarks by Jiří Schneider, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Central Europe. Afterwards, Dr. Lazăr Comănescu, Former Ambassador and Former Foreign Minister of Romania, Prof. Sebastian Płóciennik, Head of the Weimar Triangle Program at the Polish Institute for International Affairs (PISM), and Marieluise Beck, Former Parliamentary State Secretary and Director of Central and Eastern Europe at Zentrum Liberale Moderne, discussed the EU East-West divide and Germany’s role as honest broker and neighbor – especially with regard to the Visegrad countries and the Romanian EU Council Presidency. Bettina Vestring moderated the discussion.