Atlantic Council energy and economy summit starts in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The annual Atlantic Council Energy and Economic Summit starts in Istanbul on Nov. 18 with the aim of building from Central Asia to Central Europe and the Levant, with the attendance of over 400 distinguished speakers from 40 countries. 

Two presidents, one prime minister, more than 20 ministers, and more than 40 global CEOs and heads of nongovernmental organizations are expected to attend the event at the Grand Tarabya Hotel in Istanbul on the shores of the Bosphorus. 

This year’s theme, “Building Global Stability and Business Resilience in Volatile Times,” will focus on “examining business opportunities, economic and energy developments, and geopolitical challenges in a region that is currently at the crossroads of history,” according to the event’s official website. 

President Erdoğan to make keynote speech

The summit sessions will start on the afternoon of Nov. 18, examining in detail a number of critical energy and economic issues such as the future of Europe’s energy security and the future of Africa’s energy security. 

The official opening of the summit will take place on the morning of Nov. 19 with a keynote speech from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

The summit, during which the Syrian issue, the recent Iranian nuclear agreement with the West, political chaos in Ukraine, and falling energy prices, are expected to be put on the table by leading economy and energy players until the official closing on Nov. 20. 

Speakers at this year’s summit will include Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic; Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko; U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey John Bass, International Energy Agency (IEA) Chief Economist and Executive Director Designate Fatih Birol; European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Canete; President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Former U.S. National Security Advisor General James L. Jones, Jr.; U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator on International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein; and many others, according to the Atlantic Council website.