Public Lecture on The U.S. – EU: Economic Cooperation
A public lecture on the U.S. – EU: Economic Cooperation was delivered at the UNWE by Michael Koplovsky, Economic Minister Counselor at U.S. Mission to the European Union (USEU) in Brussels. At the meeting in the Small Conference Hall attended the Rector of UNWE Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev, the Vice Rector Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milanka Slavova, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Dean of the Economics of Infrastructure Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paskal Zhelev, Secretary General for International Cooperation, Sally Behrhorst, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Embassy’s Political and Economic Section in Sofia, Danko Tonev, Economic Affairs Expert at the US Embassy, lecturers and students.
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| During the meeting in the Small Conference Hall |
Prof. Stattev presented the guest-lecturer Michael Koplovsky as well as Sally Behrhorst.
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| Prof. Stattev is opening the public lecture. On the right next to him: Michael Koplovsky and Assoc. Prof. Paskal Zhelev, on the left: Sally Behrhorst |
Michael Koplovsky expressed his admiration for the fact that over the new history of our country six Prime Ministers, fourteen Financial Ministers and six Ministers of Foreign Affairs had been graduates of UNWE. During his short lecture he presented his “big five" US-EU areas of cooperation“: trade, energy security, digital economy, growth and the sanctions against Russia.
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| Participants in the meeting |
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) were defined by Koplovsky as a key note for the U.S. – EU cooperation. The lecturer examined also the optimal use and diversification of energy sources as well as the building of intra-EU interconnections and the renewable and alternative energy sources emphasizing on the liberalization of energy markets, their efficiency and regulation. He pointed out as particularly important the energy security and outlined the great progress of the USA in that field.
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| The Rector and Michael Koplovsky (on the right) during his lecture |
Digitalization is the next important step for cooperation development as in the 21st century the fast incorporation of information technologies in all spheres of life by platforms facilitating the communications and single markets development requires to be paid attention to the correct use of data and better privacy of information, pointed out the lecturer. Koplovsky emphasized also on the economic growth and rates of prosperity of every country. In this relation he promoted the development of single markets in goods and services including the role of energy and banking union for working out better regulations. The lecturer corroborated also the Juncker investment plan and outlined that the support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) had been an important prerequisite for faster economic growth. He expressed an opinion that maintaining unity on sanctions against Russia could have a key role for the protection of cooperation and security in the European Union.
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Koplovsky and Behrhorst (on the left) answered the questions by the attendees. |
Koplovsky answered also the questions by the attendees in the hall. Prof. Dimitrov was assured by Sally Behrhorst that in the education of students on Master`s Degree Programme in Nuclear Security could also participate American experts.
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| Prof. Statty Stattev and Michel Koplovsky in Rector`s office |
Michael Koplovsky, Economic Minister Counselor at U.S. Mission to the European Union (USEU), is a career Foreign Service officer with extensive experience in economic issues, particularly trade policy and negotiation. His most recent postings abroad were as economic counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, political/economic chief at the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica, Counselor and Acting Deputy Permanent Representative of US Mission to OECD in Paris (2011-2014), Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs in Baghdad, Iraq (2014-August 2015). He also has worked at the World Bank’s Strategic Planning Division, at the Commerce Department’s Office of GATT Affairs as well as in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in Paramaribo, Suriname, etc.
Sally Behrhorst, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Embassy’s Political and Economic Section, leads the Embassy’s economic team and is the co-chair of the U.S. –Bulgaria Bilateral Working Group on energy security and diversification. Prior to Bulgaria, Sally worked in Washington in the State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources where she headed up a Presidential initiative to promote the use of cleaner energy sources in Asia. She has served two tours in Beijing China and also worked in the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
