Friday, April 4, 2025 - Day 1 (Grand Ballroom, Salamander D.C.)

09:00 Registration Desk Opens 📍Foyer, Ballroom Level

12:00 Welcome Buffet Lunch 📍Gallery Ballroom

12:30 Welcome Remarks from Regional Chairs 📍Grand Ballroom

• Meghan O’Sullivan, North American Chair, Trilateral Commission

• Takeshi Niinami, Asia-Pacific Chair, Trilateral Commission

• Axel Weber, European Chair, Trilateral Commission

12:45 Taking Stock of a Changing World  

Our world today is undergoing dramatic geopolitical shifts, with enduring land war in Europe, a major reordering across the Middle East, tensions in North America, and rising US-China competition. Just as key countries like the United States, the G7, NATO allies and others are partnering more closely, so too are Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. What are the key trendlines in today’s world and where are we headed?

• José Manuel Durão Barroso, Former President of the European Commission 

• Kiron Skinner, Taube Family Chair Professor, Pepperdine University; Former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State, 2018-2019

• Cui Tiankai, Former Chinese Ambassador to the United States 

• Moderator: David E. Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times 

13:30 The World on Fire: The Social and Cultural Roots of What is Happening Today  

• David Brooks, Opinion Columnist, The New York Times 

14:15 An Age of Revolutions? A Perspective from History

History illustrates multiple periods of geopolitical, technological, and social change. What lessons might we draw from previous eras in order to better understand today’s rapidly changing world? 

• Jill Lepore, Professor of American History and Professor of Law, Harvard University; Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author of These Truths: A History of the United States 

• Moderator: Jared Cohen, President of Global Affairs, Goldman Sachs; Author of Life After Power: Seven Presidents and Their Search for Purpose Beyond the White House 

14:45 The Artificial Intelligence Revolution & The Global Economy 

The release of ever more powerful artificial intelligence models has spurred competition among firms and countries, inspired tremendous investment and technology controls, and increased demand for electricity, chips, and talent. Some hope superhuman AI will usher in unprecedented abundance while others worry about large-scale employment dislocation. This discussion will focus on AI and its economic implications.

• Jack Clark, Co-Founder, Anthropic 

• Carme Artigas, Co-Chair, United Nations AI Advisory Body 

• Tarun Chhabra, Former Coordinator for Technology and National Security, U.S. National Security Council

• Moderator: Claudia Olsson, CEO, Stellar Capacity 

15:30 Coffee/Tea Break

16:00 A Special Conversation

• Scott Bessent, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

• David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group

16:30 Executive Time

17:00 Welcome Reception 📍Salamander D.C. Courtyard (Marina/Grand Lawn)

19:00 North American Dinner (Private for NA members) or Dinner at Embassies (Europe/Asia)

>> For the North American Dinner, Featuring Short Interventions from:

• Susan Glasser, Staff Writer, The New Yorker, on The State of the Media

• Linda Hasenfratz, CEO, Linamar, on The Auto Industry 

• Erika Mouynes, Former Foreign Minister of Panama, on The Panama Canal

• Karim Sadjadpour, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, on Iran 

• Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School, on the US-China Relationship

***

Saturday, April 5, 2025 - Day 2 (Grand Ballroom, Salamander D.C.)

07:30 Regional Executive Committee Meeting (Private)

07:30 Breakfast 📍Gallery Ballroom

09:00 Ukraine War and the Future of European Security

The Ukraine war initially united Europe and the United States in an effort to support Kyiv and contain Moscow. Since its outset, intra-European divisions have surfaced alongside weakening political leadership and economic troubles in key countries. The US appetite to provide vast quantities of aid to Ukraine appears to be waning, and the Trump administration’s approach to the war remains uncertain. In the meantime, Russia has made modest but real gains on the battlefield.  This discussion will focus on the war and its implications for European security, including burden-sharing with the US. 

• Dmytro Kuleba, Former Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ukraine

• Carl Bildt, Former Prime Minister & Foreign Minister, Sweden

• Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, Acting President, German Marshall Fund of the United States

• Moderator: Karen Donfried, Director, Congressional Research Service

09:45 A Conversation on Soft Power in the Age of Trump 

One of the pillars of American power for the last many decades is its “soft power” – its ability to attract people of other societies to America’s values, principles, and way of life. Joe Nye, the father of the soft power concept, addresses how and whether soft power can be wielded in the “America First” age.

• Joseph Nye, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University

• Moderator: Judy Woodruff, Senior Correspondent, PBS Newshour

10:15 Coffee/Tea Break 

10:30  Neurotechnologies and the Battle for Your Brain

Neurotechnologies are devices capable of recording, interpreting, or altering brain activity. New devices may include thought-to-text translation, decoding brain scans using generative AI, and cognitive augmentation. This discussion will address this rapidly growing sector and the legal, regulatory, and ethical responses.

• Rafael Yuste, Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the Neurotechnology Center, Columbia University  

• Tan Le, CEO, Emotiv  

• Moderator: Jared Genser, Co-Founder and General Counsel, Neurorights Foundation  

11:15 Fragile Ties or Lasting Bonds? The Future of Indo-Pacific Security

One of the most dramatic changes in the international system over recent years has been the growing web of relationships and alliances in the Indo-Pacific. From the strengthening of the Quad to the establishment of AUKUS to the new ties between South Korea, Japan, and the United States, the relationships binding non-Chinese Pacific partners have deepened and led to new forms of cooperation. How will these relatively new arrangements fare in the years ahead, particularly if there is less American interest and leadership in maintaining them?

• Kevin Rudd, Australian Ambassador to the United States; former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Australia  

• Jake Sullivan, former U.S. National Security Advisor; Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order, Harvard Kennedy School  

• Jawed Ashraf, former Indian Ambassador to France and High Commissioner to Singapore  

• Moderator: Alyssa Ayres, Dean, Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University  

12:00 North America on the Rocks (Lunch📍Gallery Ballroom)

President Trump imposed significant tariffs on Canada and Mexico during his first days in office, eliciting reciprocal steps from Ottawa and Mexico City. The new US administration has prioritized security along the northern and southern borders, threatened seizure of the Panama Canal, sought to buy Greenland, and mused about Canada becoming a 51st American state. What is the state of North American relations under the Trump administration, and where do the three closely-linked partners go from here?

• Gary Doer, Former Canadian Ambassador to the United States

• Ernesto Zedillo, Frederick Iseman Director of the Program for the Study of Globalization, Yale University; The 61st President of Mexico

• Moderator: Andrea Mitchell, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News

13:15 Cryptocurrency: A Status Update

The Trump administration has ushered in a new era of digital financial assets, embracing cryptocurrency, establishing a national crypto reserve, and modifying previous attempts at regulation. What is the status of cryptocurrency in this new environment and what are its broader financial and economic implications?

• Faryar Shirzad, Chief Policy Officer, Coinbase  

• Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy and Operations, Circle

• Sigal Mandelker, General Partner, Ribbit Capital; Former U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence

• Moderator: Michael Greenwald,​​ Global Head, Digital Assets and Executive Relations, Amazon Web Services; Deputy Director, Trilateral Commission North America

14:00  Concurrent Breakout Sessions

1. Europe at a Crossroads: Economic Leadership, Security Challenges, and Transatlantic Relations 📍Portrait Room

Europe faces mounting challenges, from economic resilience to energy security and shifting transatlantic relations. As global power dynamics evolve, what strategic choices must Europe make to maintain its influence and economic strength? How can it balance relations with the U.S., Asia, and other key players?

• Kurt Lauk, Chairman, Globe Capital Partners; former Member of the European Parliament 

• Cecilia Malmström, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; former European Commissioner for Trade

• Angela Stent, Senior Nonresident Fellow, The Brookings Institution

• Moderator: Levent Tuzun, Principal Economist, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 

2. China and Its Neighbors 📍Phillips Room

U.S.-China rivalry continues to shape the global order, with implications for trade, technology, and security. Yet Beijing’s relations with its Asian neighbors are also of vital importance and in some flux. What is the state of China’s relations with countries to its east and west, and how do they see their bonds with Washington and one another? 

• Sung-han Kim, Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University; Former National Security Advisor to the President, Republic of Korea

• Moderator: Indrani Bagchi, Chief Executive Officer, Ananta Center

3. Technology Competition and Cooperation 📍Garden I

Emerging technologies are increasingly the currency of international relations, with countries both competing and cooperating in areas like artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, biotechnology, defense technologies, and quantum computing. What is the scope for international cooperation in these areas and where will tools like export controls and investment bans come into play?

• Adam Falkoff, Vice President and Global Managing Partner, Microsoft Strategic Ventures

• Tom Jenkins, Chair of the Board, OpenText Corporation

• Kenji Kushida, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

• Moderator: Caroline Pestel, Consultant, McKinsey  

4. Debt and Its Discontents 📍Garden II

The role of public debt is rising in the calculations of political leaders and economic policymakers. Key European countries are changing laws in order to permit greater borrowing, the Trump administration is taking dramatic steps to reduce the budget deficit, and Japan’s stock of public debt appears manageable so long as interest rates remain relatively low. How do key players and thinkers view the role of debt today?

• Akinari Horii, Special Advisor, Canon Institute for Global Studies; Former Assistant Governor, Bank of Japan

• Guillermo Ortiz Martínez, Former Governor, Bank of Mexico; Former Finance Minister, Mexico

• Moderator:  Rebecca Patterson, Independent Director, Vanguard

15:00 A Conversation on Trade and Tariffs

Inflation remains higher than the Federal Reserve target, President Trump has imposed or promised tariffs on most countries, the Department of Government Efficiency seeks to reduce the US budget deficit with massive cuts, renewal of the Trump tax cuts loom, and worries about rising public debt are affecting financial markets. Where is US economic policy headed, and what are its implications?

• Stephen Vaughn, Former General Counsel to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer

• Moderator: Susan C. Schwab, Former United States Trade Representative; Strategic Advisor, Mayer Brown LLP

15:45 Global Business Outlook in the Trump Era

Financial markets rose after Donald Trump’s election and have since fallen, as uncertainty about tariffs and other U.S. economic policies affect business decision making, investment, and supply chains.  How do business leaders outside the United States see this new era?

• Stéphane Boujnah, Chief Executive Officer, Euronext Group, Paris  

• Jin Roy Ryu, Chairman and CEO, Poongsan Group; Chairman, Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) 

• Louis Vega, President, Dow North America

• Michael Klein, Managing Partner, M. Klein & Company 

• Rebecca Patterson, Independent Director, Vanguard 

• Moderator: Axel Weber, European Chair, Trilateral Commission  

16:45 Coffee/Tea Break

17:00 A Fireside Chat on Populism, Conservatism, and the Republican Party 

• Reihan Salam, President, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

• Moderator: Nina Easton, Co-CEO, SellersEaston Media; Author of Gang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Ascendancy

17:30 The New Normal in the Middle East  

The incoming Trump administration joined with the Biden team to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. Since then, the new administration has engaged in intensive regional diplomacy, including with Israel, Lebanon, Gulf states and Hamas, and offered to negotiate with Iran. In this transformed Middle East landscape, what diplomatic opportunities and dangers remain?

• Brett McGurk, Former Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, U.S. National Security Council

• General David H. Petraeus (Ret’d), Chairman, KKR Global Institute; Former Director, The Central Intelligence Agency

• Moderator: Meghan O’Sullivan, North American Chair, Trilateral Commission

18:15 Executive Time

18:45 Shuttle Departure from the Hotel - Transfer to the Reception/Dinner Venue 

19:00 Reception & Dinner to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II

Please join us in commemorating the end of the Second World War, 80 years ago, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. We will have a private viewing of the Presidential Portrait Gallery, music from the 1940s courtesy of the Miles Stiebel Orchestra, dinner in the museum courtyard, and a conversation between:

• Sir Antony Beevor, Visiting Professor, University of Kent; Honorary Fellow King’s College, London; Former Chairman of the Society of Authors; Number One Bestselling Historian, United Kingdom

• Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, Editor, Foreign Affairs

***

Sunday, April 6, 2025 - Day 3 (Grand Ballroom, Salamander D.C.)

07:30 Breakfast 📍Gallery Ballroom

08:30 The Energy Transition: Energy Superpowers and Geopolitical Heft 

The United States and China are the largest consumers of energy in the world – but also energy superpowers of different kinds. What matters more today, leadership in conventional energy or clean energy? In a time when “energy transition” is being rethought, how will such leads influence the standing of the United States, China, and others around the world – and the relations among them?

• Fan Dai, Director, California-China Climate Institute, University of California, Berkeley

• Amos Hochstein, Former White House Deputy Assistant and Senior Advisor to the President for Energy and Investment; Managing Partner, TWG Global

• James Shih, Senior Vice President of Global Affairs, SEMCORP Advanced Materials Group

• Terry Lynch, CEO, Power Metallic Mines

• Moderator: Dan Yergin, Vice Chairman, S&P Global

09:30 Technology in the Military Domain: Revolutionizing Defense and Security

Artificial intelligence is reshaping military capabilities, from autonomous systems to sensors and targeting to augmented decision-making. This discussion examines the implications of AI for defense policy, the ethical considerations of its use, and the risks of autonomous weaponry. Experts will discuss how trilateral cooperation might establish norms and prevent escalation while fostering innovation in responsible AI deployment.  

• Leanne Caret, Director, RTX; former CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security

• Mike Horowitz, Richard Perry Professor and Director of Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania 

• Ken Jimbo, Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University; Managing Director, International House of Japan

• Bastian Giegerich, Director-General and Chief Executive, International Institute for Strategic Studies

• Moderator: Aditi Kumar, former Principal Deputy Director, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)

10:30 Coffee/Tea Break

11:00 Korea-Japan Cooperation: A Conversation on the Future 

This year marks 60 years of normalized ties between South Korea and Japan, following a period of unprecedented rapprochement. Yet, President Yoon’s impeachment and President Trump’s return have sparked uncertainty. Amid regional tensions with North Korea, China, Russia, and Taiwan, can the two countries sustain their cooperation?

• James Kondo, Chairman, International House of Japan

• Tae-Ho Bark, Professor Emeritus, GSIS, Seoul National University; former Minister of Trade, Republic of Korea

11:30 A TED Talk on Greenland and Its Geopolitical Importance

• Bo Lidegaard, Co-Founder and Partner, Kaya Advisory; former Editor Politiken, Copenhagen

11:45 Closing Remarks from Regional Chairs

• Axel A. Weber, European Chair, Trilateral Commission

• Meghan O’Sullivan, North American Chair, Trilateral Commission

• Takeshi Niinami, Asia-Pacific Chair, Trilateral Commission

12:00 Closing Buffet Lunch 📍Gallery Ballroom