Realizing the Vision of IMEC: Building Bridges of Connectivity

Realizing the Vision of IMEC: Building Bridges of Connectivity

The international conference – “Realizing the Vision of IMEC”– will be the first international gathering convening stakeholders and catalyzing collaboration to fulfill IMEC’s visionary concept. It will also be the first IMEC gathering to devise practical and actionable roadmaps to develop cross-regional connectivity, economic integration, and sustainable development. By fostering discussion among policymakers, business leaders, and experts, the conference seeks to address strategic imperatives and challenges, secure commitments, and promote partnerships that will drive the implementation of IMEC, enhancing trade, innovation, and prosperity across the connected regions.

The conference deliberations will highlight opportunities and identify key challenges on the path to effectively developing IMEC. Considering IMEC to be a vision to construct an inclusive and open global public good, discussions will examine how to secure the broad benefits of IMEC across and beyond their respective regions and offer principles and guidelines for managing global Public-Private Partnerships.

Conference sessions – in all formats – will aim to yield actionable policy recommendations to present a work plan for developing IMEC. 

Program - May 12

09:30 Welcome & Registration

10:00 Setting the Scene

Opening Remarks: John O’Sullivan – President, Danube Institute

IMEC: A Pathway to Global Prosperity: Carice Witte, Founder & Executive Director, SIGNAL Group

10:25: Keynote Address – Honorable Tony Abbott AC – Former Prime Minister of Australia

10:40 Plenary Session I. The Geopolitical Imperative: Connecting Europe, Middle East, and South Asia 

This session will explore the strategic rationale behind IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor), situating it within broader shifts in global order and great power competition. Panelists will assess the corridor’s potential to stabilize and integrate key regions, while strengthening partnerships among regional powers.

• Prof. Tomohiko Tanaguchi, Specially Appointed Professor, University of Tsukuba; Former Special Advisor to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
• Kapil Sharma, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
• Dr. Thanos Dokos, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic
• Amb. Dr. Péter András Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary
• Dr. Ebtesam AlKetbi, President & Founder, Emirates Policy Center

Moderator: Carice Witte, Founder & Executive Director, SIGNAL Group

11:50 Coffee break 

12:05 Keynote Address – H.E. Saud Hamad Al-Shamsi, Ambassador of the UAE to Hungary

12:20 Plenary Session II. IMEC & Economic Statecraft – Diversifying Global Supply Chains and Enhancing Energy Security 

This session examines IMEC’s potential to rewire global trade routes, strengthen supply chain resilience, and promote energy security in an increasingly fragmented world economy. The discussion will focus on how economic statecraft can drive regional development while balancing geopolitical competition and commercial pragmatism.

• Ophir Gore, Senior Deputy Chief Economist for International Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Israel
• Francesco Stanislao Parisi, President & Managing Director Headquarters Trieste, Italy
• Amb. Carla Sands, Vice Chair, Center for Energy and Environment, America First Policy Institute

Moderator: Carlos Roa, Visiting Fellow, Danube Institute

13:20 Lunch Break 

14:30 Plenary Session III. The Governance of IMEC – Building, Financing, and Operating Global Public-Private Partnerships

Effective governance is critical to turning IMEC from vision to reality. This session will explore models for managing cross-border infrastructure projects, ensuring transparency, sustainability, and multilateral ownership. It will highlight strategies for mobilizing private capital, coordinating regulatory frameworks, and managing risk.

• Roi Feder, Executive Director, APCO Worldwide
• Daniel F. Runde, Senior Vice President; William A. Schreyer Chair; Director, Project on Prosperity and Development, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
• Sergio Nardini, Head of Strategic Development, Port of Triest

Moderator: Ruwan Al Rejoleh, Founder & Managing Director, TGC Consultancy

15:30 Plenary Session IV-V. Expanding IMEC’s Stakes and Benefits: Connecting the Global South and the Indo-Pacific 

These twin sessions will assess the challenges and opportunities of extending IMEC’s relevance beyond its core geography by engaging partners from the Indo-Pacific and the broader Global South. It will explore how inclusion, development financing, and new diplomatic linkages can broaden IMEC’s stakeholder base and ensure its global resonance.

15:30 Part One: Connecting the Indo-Pacific 

• Thomas Jung Ho Park – Operating Partner, Zab Capital Holdings Ltd
• Dr. Kaush Arha, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University; President, Free & Open Indo-Pacific Forum
• Dr. Lê Thị Ngọc Hân – Vice Dean of the Faculty of International Politics, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam

Moderator: Tommy Steiner – Policy Director, SIGNAL Group

16:30 Coffee break 

16:45 Part Two: Connecting the Global South

• Dr. Gizachew Asrat Woldemariam, Director General, African Affairs and Senior Researcher, Institute of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia 
• Richard Javad Heydarian, Senior Lecturer in International Affairs, Asian Center, University of the Philippines
• Prof. Happymon Jacob, Founder & Director, Council for Security and Defense Research; School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)  

Moderator: Dr. James Jay Carafano, Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow, Heritage Foundation

17:45: Concluding remarks

Details

Date: May 12, 2025
Venue: Lónyay-Hatvany Villa, 1 Csónak Street, 1015 Budapest
(Entrance: Aranybástya Restaurant)
Language: English

Participation is free; however, due to limited seating, pre-registration is required.

We reserve the right to modify the program.