28 of June at 11:00 a.m., in the auditorium of the Old Library of the University of Warsaw the 16th Warsaw East European Conference has started. The main subject of this year’s conference was The post-soviet space three decades later. Time of troubles or triumph?. The opening ceremony of the conference was attended by the speech of Jan Malicki (director, Centre for East European Studies), John Micgiel (conference director) and minister Marcin Przydacz (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland).

The opening ceremony was honoured the representatives of many embassies and major institutions. The keynote speaker, dr Andrzej Fałkowski, Lt.Gen. (Ret) gave a lecture entitled The Ukrainian awakening of NATO or/and the NATO awakening of Ukrainian defence?

During the first day of the conference two Round Tables took place. About Regional Security discussed Suzanne Loftus, Robertas Šapronas, Ray Wojcik. The issues related to environmental policy presented Weronika Michalak, Andrzej Kassenberg and Krzysztof Księżopolski. Both Round Tables were moderated by John S. Micgiel. First day of the conference ended with Marshall Center Poland Alumni Outreach Networking Event.

During the second day 6 panel sessions took place. Participants discussed the following topics: European Security, The Black Sea Region, Migration and Ethnic Minorities, Language Identity: Labels and Hybrid War and Imagined future before and after Belavezha in view of participants and observers. Our experts participaded in the Round Table entitled Politics and Societies. At the end of the day participants and observers of the Belovezha Accords: Piotr Krauchanka and Volodymyr Kryzhanivskyi together with Jan Malicki, Stanisław Ciosek, Mariusz Maszkiewicz and Elżbieta Smułkowa during the fourth Round Table entitled Belavezha 28 years after. Participants and observers  discussed about causes that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The last day of the conference began with 5 pannel sessions: Ukraine: Social Issues, Post-Soviet Space: Memory and Consiousness, Memory War in Post-Soviet Belarus, Post-Soviet Art and Architecture, Georgia: Tendencies of Aspiration. The conference ended with an excellent lecture by prof. Allen Lynch from University of Virginia, entitled Why Putin did not try to help elect Trump.

Summarizing, the 16th Warsaw East European Conference was attended by guests from 16 countries and 3 continents. The participants of WEEC hparticipated in 4 Round Tables, 11 panel sessions, lectures and special events.