On 11–12 March 2024, the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA) co-hosted the “2024 CEEasia Forum” conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. The two-day policy-oriented conference focused on topics critical to global security and stability in the Euro–Atlantic and Indo–Pacific regions.
The initial idea for the event was born in 2021, when, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we held the pilot CEEasia Forum as an online conference. After a short break, we are proud that the conference moved into the real world as can be viewed in the event’s photo gallery, allowing us to exchange ideas with friends from all corners of Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia on how best to navigate the increasingly important, dynamic, and complex relations between the Euro–Atlantic and Indo–Pacific regions.
The past few years have produced no shortage of crises in both regions. After the trials of the COVID-19 pandemic and the proliferation of disinformation that profoundly impacted human security and economic well-being globally, we now find ourselves in another crisis: the illegal war of aggression waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin against Ukraine, which has valiantly defended itself against. While the war is being fought in Europe, the whole world, including countries in the Indo–Pacific, is experiencing its impacts.
It is no exaggeration that the reinvigorated partnership between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea poses one of the most significant threats to the international rules-based global order. Beijing’s increasingly assertive behavior and tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea are the biggest threats to peace and stability in the Indo–Pacific. The ramifications of a potential military conflict are often underappreciated in Europe, yet the impact would be far more significant for Europe than those incurred since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite all this, new forms of collaboration have emerged between the Euro–Atlantic and Indo–Pacific. The overarching theme of the 2024 CEEasia Forum—“Unity Amid Disruption: Charting a Shared Path for Europe and Asia”—encapsulated these developments. Over two days, we considered how best to overcome shared disruptions and crises based on cooperation and experience-sharing between like-minded partners
The eight panels discussed security and hybrid warfare, supply chain disruptions, and economic resilience. We also explored the human rights situation in Myanmar and atrocities committed by its military junta, which seized power through a coup in early 2021 and sparked a nationwide conflict—just one of many international crises increasingly forgotten in the West.
The conference gathered around 140 experts, from think tanks and academia to policymakers. This document presents the key takeaways from the panel discussions as understood by the conference co-hosts.
