CEPA head: Obama administration to blame for unsettled central Europe-US ties

It is clearly the previous Democratic US administration led by President Barack Obama to blame for the not quite smooth relations between the United States and central Europe, the head of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), a Washington-based think-tank dedicated to the study of central and eastern Europe, said on Wednesday.

Representatives of the Obama administration often spoke in rather derogatory terms about the domestic affairs of central European countries “over their heads” while these countries stand as allies of the United States, Peter Doran told public news channel M1.

Now the administration of Donald Trump aims to build strong ties with these countries based on mutual respect and giving preference to security policy considerations, he said.

The strategy of the current US administration is similar to that of the central European nations, focussing on the need to defend Europe’s “roots”, Doran said.

Former Hungarian ambassador to Washington appointed to top role at think-tank

Hungary’s former ambassador to Washington, Réka Szemerkényi, has been appointed as executive vice-president of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), a Washington-based think-tank dedicated to the study of central and eastern Europe.

Peter Doran, CEPA’s new head of central and eastern European policy US-central European relations, said of the former ambassador: “She is one of central Europe’s leading Atlanticist voices who embodies CEPA’s mission and vision.”

“Réka Szemerkényi has demonstrated a strong commitment to Atlanticism throughout her career,”

said CEPA Chairman Larry Hirsch. “We are delighted to have Réka join the CEPA team, as I know she will continue to work tirelessly to promote a deeper, more enduring relationship between Europe and the United States.”

Szemerkényi was succeeded by László Szabó in July 2017. Szabó previously served as deputy minister of foreign affairs and trade from 2014-2017.

Source: MTI