The Eurasia Leadership Trek continued on to Turkey, Ukraine and Moldova. The Turkey leg commenced on 3 June and was completed on the 9, whereas Ukraine was from 10 – 12 June and Moldova’s visit was from 13 – 14 June. The scholars arrived at in Ankara on a sunny morning and went on a Beypazari City Tour. They then visited the Ataturk Mausoleum, met with the senior advisor to President of Turkey, Hatice Karahan (Chief Economist) and visited the Presidential Complex. Meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Center for Strategic Research, Ufuk Ulutas and the Center for Eurasian Studies happened thereafter. The rest of the days agenda is as below:
Ankara
5 June
- Meeting with Mehmet Gulluoglu, Head of Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD)
- Meeting with Serdar Cam, President of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA)
- Visit to the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV)
- Meeting with the Charge d’Affaires of the USA, Philip Kosnett
- Visit to DORCE Prefabricated Building & Construction Industry Trade Inc
- Meeting with CEO Suheyla Cebi Karahan
6 June
- Tour at the Turkish National Assembly
- Meeting and Lunch with Turkish Parliamentarian
- Visit to Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs
Istanbul
7 June
- Visit to Istanbul Policy Center (IPM)
- Visit to Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK)
- Visit to Samsung Innovation Center and Meeting with Erdem Erkul, Country Director of Government Sector & PA
- Visit to Kibar Holding and Meeting with Chairman of the Executive Board Ali Kibar
- Dinner at the Bahcesehir University
8 June
- Visit to Technology & Humanity Colleges (TINK)
- Meeting with the Founder & CEO Zeynep Dereli
- Panel Discussion with 150 Students at TINK
- Visit to Consul General of USA
- Visit to Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD)
- Dinner at the Aydin University
9 June
- Cultural and Historical Tour ( Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet Mosque, Grand Bazaar)
- Bosphorus Tour on boat
- Dinner with the CEO of TINK, Zeynep Dereli
Ukraine
Ukraine was the next country the Trekkers made way to on 10 June where a meeting with Foreign Policy Correspondent, Ian Bateson took place. The Trekkers also visited OSCE, the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. The rest of the Trek’s agenda is as below:
11 June
- Meeting with MP and Journalist Mustafa Nayye
- Visit to NDI where a meeting with Ian Woodward and Natia Jikia took place
- Meeting with Ambassador Vaidotas Verba, the OSCE Project Co – ordinator in Ukraine and his Deputy, Jeffrey Erlich
- Visit to the Ukranian Prism
- Visit to the Ukranian Leadership Academy
12 June
- Visit to NATO Information and Documentation Centre of the NATO Representation to Ukraine
- Visit to National Anti Corruption Bureau of Ukraine
- Visit to the U.S. Embassy and Meeting with David Holmes
Moldova
Moldova was the next destination for the Trekkers where they not only enjoyed great weather but also their exotic cuisine, friendly people and interesting landmarks. First order of the day was to meet the Vice President, Mihai Popsoi of the Party of Action and Solidarity, a liberal political party in the republic. Following that, a meet-up
with UNDP Moldova’s Deputy Resident Representative Stefan Liller. Sergiu Diaconu, CEO Target Group Moldova
met the Trekkers at the organization’s office in Chisinau for a networking session to take place before a guided walking tour around the city took place. The Trekkers also had a chance to meet with Dumitru Alaiba, who was the Programme Director at Centre for Policies and Reforms. The next day, a tour of Tekwill and a meeting with the ICT sector representatives saw the completion of the Eurasia Trek 2018.
by Rajeswari Rush Ramanee
