Holding Together in Times of Crisis: A New Era for Transatlantic Relations

The American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke will hold their joint annual German-American Conference in Berlin.

Monday, June 13, 2022 

8:15 am Registration Opens 

 9:00 am Welcome by 
Sigmar Gabriel, Chairman, Atlantik-Brücke; former Federal Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor 
Ambassador John Emerson, Chairman, American Council on Germany; former U.S. Ambassador to Germany  

9:15 am Setting the Stage Oliver Bäte, CEO, Allianz SE  

9:35 am Oliver Bäte in conversation with Ambassador John Emerson 

10:00 am Opening Keynote: “Transatlantic Relations During Uncertain Times”
Federal Minister Annalena Baerbock, Federal Foreign Minister, Federal Foreign Office  

10:20 am Q&A with Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock 

11:00 am Coffee Break 

 11:30 am “How Reliable is the Transatlantic Partnership?”
Molly Montgomery, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State 
Dr. Norbert Röttgen, Member of the Bundestag (CDU/CSU) and Member of Committee on Foreign Affairs
Wolfgang Schmidt, Head of the Federal Chancellery (invited) 

Moderator: Dr. Anna Sauerbrey, Foreign Politics Coordinator, Die Zeit  

12:30 pm Lunch Break 

1:30 pm “Finding a Common Security and Defense Policy in Times of Crisis”
Dr. Stefanie Babst, Principal and Global Policy Advisor, Brooch Associates, London; former Chief Strategic Policy Analyst, NATO
Dr. Seth A. Johnston, Military Officer in Europe, U.S. Department of Defense; U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel; former NATO Task Force Commander
Dr. Markus Kaim, Senior Fellow, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)  

Moderator: Tina Hassel, Berlin Bureau Chief, ARD German Television (invited) 

 2:30 pm “Food Security and the Economic Implications of the War in Ukraine”
Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, CEO and Managing Director, Food Systems for the Future; former Executive Director, United Nations World Food Program 
Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG Think Tank for Sustainability  

Moderator: Anja Wehler-Schöck, Journalist (invited) 

 3:30 pm Coffee Break 

 4:00 pm “Two Views on Russia and the War in Ukraine”
Dr. Christoph von Marschall, Diplomatic Correspondent of the Editorial Board, Der Tagesspiegel 
Dr. John J. Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor in the Political Science Department, University of Chicago  

Moderator: Katja Gloger, Author and Journalist  

5:30 pm Keynote:  Federal Minister Christine Lambrecht, Federal Minister, Federal Ministry of Defense  

5:45 pm Q&A with Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht 

6:15 pm Closing Remarks
Sigmar Gabriel, Chairman, Atlantik-Brücke; former Federal Foreign Minister and Vice- Chancellor
Ambassador John Emerson, Chairman, American Council on Germany; former U.S. Ambassador to Germany  

6:30 pm Reception 

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 

8:00 am Registration Opens  

8:45 am Welcome Back
Julia Friedlander, CEO, Atlantik-Brücke
Dr. Steven E. Sokol, President, American Council on Germany 

9:00 “The Economic and Social Impact of the Current Crises”
Prof. Dr. h.c. Jutta Allmendinger, President, WZB Berlin Social Science Center and Professor of Educational Sociology and Labor Market Research, Humboldt University in Berlin 
Dr. Adam Tooze, Shelby Cullom Davis Chair of History and Director of the European Institute, Columbia University  

Moderator: Birte Meier, Investigative Journalist, ZDF German Television  

 10:00 “Energy Dependence vs. Independence: Conflict or a False Choice?”
Ulf Heitmüller, Chairman of the Board, VNG AG Leipzig 
Tracy McKibben, Founder and CEO, MAC Energy Advisors LLC 
Yuriy Vitrenko, CEO, Naftogaz (invited) 

Moderator: America Hernandez, Energy Policy Correspondent, POLITICO Europe (invited) 

11:00 Coffee Break 

11:15 “Defending Against Cyber Attacks: Trust and Technology”
Christopher Painter, President, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies 
Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, Director of Digital Society Institute, European School of Management and Technology in Berlin 

Moderator: Johannes Steger, Director of “Background Cybersecurity”, Der Tagesspiegel 

12:15 pm “Revitalizing Transatlantic Trade”
Prof. Dr. Michael Hüther, Director and Member of the Executive Committee, German Economic Institute 
Dr. John Lipsky, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins University SAIS; former First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund  

Moderator: Dr. Laura von Daniels, Head of Research Division “The Americas”, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)  

 1:15 pm Wrap up
Julia Friedlander, CEO, Atlantik-Brücke
Dr. Steven E. Sokol, President, American Council on Germany 

agenda subject to change.