Media Advisory

Journalists, policy analysts and public officials from the Financial Times, the Brookings Institution, the U.S. State Department, and the French and German governments will address the future of Franco-German relations and the implications for the United States during a conference on Jan. 17, 2003 at the Germany Embassy in Washington, D.C.

The conference, "Beyond the Elysee Treaty: The Future of Franco-German Relations," is part of a two-year project commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty between France and Germany, sponsored by the Johns Hopkins American Institute for Contemporary German Studies.

Robert Graham and Haig Simonian of the Financial Times will offer a report on the state of the Franco-German relationship during the first panel discussion, "The Franco-German Partnership: Evolution and Future Prospects."

Then, representatives of the State Department and the European Commission will discuss "The European Institutional Reform Debate: Differing Visions of Europe." The panel will include Charles Ries, principal deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs in the State Department; Jonathan Davidson, of the delegation of the European Commission; and representatives from both France and Germany. The luncheon speaker will be His Excellency Jean-David Levitte, French Ambassador to the United States, who will be introduced by Eberhard Köat;lsch, German Chargé d'Affaires, a.i.

Policy analysts will conclude the conference with a discussion on "A European Foreign and Security Policy: Implications for the Transatlantic Relationship." Philip Gordon of the Brookings Institution will participate along with French and German commentators.

Co-sponsored by AICGS and The Brookings Institution, the conference is part of two-year joint project to examine the changes in the Franco-German relationship and their implications for the European Union and its relationship with the United States.

The conference begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 17 and will be held in the Carl Schurz Auditorium of the German Embassy, 4645 Reservoir Road, N.W. For more information, contact Ilonka Oszvald, research assistant for AICGS, at 202-332-9312, ext. 125, or at ilonka@aicgs.org. Rsvps must be received by Wednesday, January 15, and a picture ID must be produced to gain entry to the conference.