01 May Diplomatic Hour: In Conversation with the Ambassador of Slovakia
The British Foreign Policy Group (BFPG) is delighted to welcome His Excellency, Dr Róbert Ondrejcsák, Ambassador of Slovakia to the UK, for a public event focused on the future of UK-Slovakian relations, Slovakia’s role in the world, and its approach to UK-European relations.
This year Slovakia marks the 20-year anniversary of its accession to both NATO and the EU, at a time of major geopolitical upheaval. This event will explore the role Slovakia will look to take in the evolving world order and its opportunities for leadership. It will also explore areas of consensus and divergence between the two nations on key global issues such as the invasion of Ukraine and events in the Middle East, striving to highlight UK-Slovakia collaboration both bilaterally and alongside other European partners.
This event is part of BFPG’s wider ‘Diplomatic Hour’ series which seeks to strengthen the relationship between the London diplomatic corps and the wider UK foreign policy community. The event will bring together a group of UK-based experts, academics, policymakers, business and thought-leaders, with an interest in the region and the bilateral relationship to engage in candid, forward-looking conversation on the future of UK-Slovakian relations, as well as wider geopolitical and regional developments.
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EVENT DETAILS
Date: Wednesday 22nd May 2024
Time: 10.00 – 11.30
Location: 23 Grafton Street, Mayfair, W1S 4EY
Arrival from 09.45. The conversation itself will then run from 10.00 – 11.30. Attendees are welcome to join us for a coffee reception from 10.00 – 11.30.
Please register to secure your place. Places are limited, and will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. Should spaces run out you are welcome to join the waitlist and we will notify you should a space become available.
SPEAKERS
His Excellency Mr Róbert Ondrejcsák, PhD
Dr Robert Ondrejcsák holds a PhD. in International Relations and an MA in Political Science, History and Philosophy. He served as the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic in two governments, and also acted as a director of the Centre for European and North Atlantic Affairs (CENAA). He is also the founder of another security policy think-tank, the STRATPOL – Strategic Policy Institute (2016).
Previously Dr Ondrejcsák was a Director of the Institute for Security and Defence Studies – the research centre of the Slovak Ministry of Defence. He also served as a Counsellor and Deputy Chief of the Mission of the Slovak Embassy to Hungary, as well as Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to the Vice-Chairman of the Slovak Parliament, advisor of the NATO Department at the Slovak Ministry of Defence and analyst of the Slovak Centre for Strategic Studies. He actively shapes the public debate in Slovakia on foreign policy, security and defence. He strongly advocates Slovakia´s pro-Atlantic and pro-European foreign policy, is active in the fight against extremism, and supports freedom, democracy and human rights. As well as this he is a published author of several books, articles and papers on international relations and security policy.
Dr Ondrejcsák is an awardee of the Bundeswehr Cross of Honour in Gold, granted for supporting European and Trans-Atlantic cooperation. He speaks English, French, Russian, Slovak and Hungarian.
Evie Aspinall
Evie Aspinall is the Director of the British Foreign Policy Group. Her primary research interests are domestic consent for foreign policy, the UK’s role in the world and challenges posed by the UK’s strategic rivals. Evie holds a BA from the University of Cambridge and an MSc from King’s College London. She joined BFPG in 2020 and previously worked at UN Women UK and the Future Leaders Network and was formerly the UK Head Delegate to the Youth7, the G7’s official youth engagement group. She also served as President of Cambridge University Students’ Union. She is a regular commentator in the media on issues pertinent to UK foreign policy.
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