2016

Mag. Othmar Karas speaker of Bürgerforum Europa invited to the event “Europa-Lunch”

Member of the European Parliament and speaker of Bürgerforum Europa – Mag. Othmar Karas set a new input for the regional political and economic cooperation of Vienna by the “Europa-Lunch”, which took place in the framework of Bürgerforum Europa.

On 16 December 2016, the new Ambassador of United Kingdom H.E. Mr Leigh Turner reported on Brexit and its consequences. In pragmatically oriented talks the participants discussed and exchanged thoughts on opportunities of closer cooperation in the future.

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Delegation of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine on a working visit at Vienna Economic Forum

On November 11th, 2016, Ms Maryana Kahanyak, Advisor to the Minister and Head of Export Promotion Office of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine and Ms. Kateryna Elishyeva, Deputy Head of the Export Promotion Unit, accompanied by Mr. Artem Rybchenko, Counselor at the Ukrainian Embassy in Vienna

discussed at a working visit at the Vienna Economic Forum with Secretary General Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva, a possible more active cooperation for the year 2017. It was defined as a common goal by both parties, to draw the attention of the investment possibilities in the Ukraine to the Austrian and European business world and  to introduce them positively, to motivate investors to look at the Ukrainian market with more trust.

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Bilateral meeting between Vienna Economic Forum and Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation

The President of Vienna Economic Forum former Vice-Chancellor of Austria Dr. Erhard Busek and Secretary General Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva met  on 10 November 2016 with the President of Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation  Dr. Akkan Suver and his spouse Ms. Müjgan Suver for a bilateral meeting.  

Both organisations are yearlong Strategic Partners and have devoted their common activities to improving the economic and political cooperation in the Balkans, in Europe and Eurasia.

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Memorandum of Understanding between Vienna Economic Forum and New Bulgarian University

The longstanding, excellent cooperation between the Vienna Economic Forum and the New Bulgarian Unversity (NBU) was raised to a new standard.

On October 26th 2016, Secretary General Ambassador Dr. Kirtcheva and the rector of the New Bulgarian University (NBU) Prof. Dr. Plamen Bochkov signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by which both parties agreed to underline the common goal and willingess to keep drawing attention to the private economy and business world in Bulgaria and other VEF- Member Countries to the high standards of present university education.

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Economic delegation from Laos for working visit at Vienna Economic Forum

On July 27 2016, VEF Secretary General Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva was delighted, together with board members and longtime supporters of the VEF, Dr. Karl Stoss, CEO, Casinos Austria AG and Austrian Lotteries GmbH, Mr. Alexander Tucek, CEO, Casinos Austria International and Amb. Victor Jackovich, President, Jackovich International,  to welcome a high-level business delegation from Laos in the premises of the VEF.

The talks took place at the initiative of the Ambassador of Laos S.E. Mr Phoukhao Phommavongsa the delegation was headed by former Prime Minister S.E. Bouasone Bouphavanh, Head of the National Institute for Economic Research, who emphasized the importance of deepening economic relations of companies and institutions from Laos with representatives from the region in our global time.

The members of the delegation, representatives from various provinces and business sectors from Laos have discussed the possibilities of intensified cooperation with Vienna Economic Forum, THE european platform in Vienna for economic initiatives.

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Article by Dr. Milan Parivodic on "The New Law on Investment" in CorD-Magazine No. 141

In the July issue of the CorD Magazines Board Member of the VEF Dr. Milan Parivodic wrote an article about the new possibilities of the State offers to assisting investors under the new Law on Investment in Serbia. Dr. Parivodic, former Serbian Minister for International Economic Relations and VEF Board Member advised the Government on the drafting of the new law.

The article (on page 26) can be found here: https://issuu.com/cordmagazines/docs/cord_141___wmo_small_pdf?e=9502342/36897358


 

Gülsum Azeri, Chairman of the Turkey-Austria Business Council of DEIK, on working visit to VEF

The chairman of the Turkey-Austria Business Council of Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK) Mrs Gülsum Azeri, CEO of OMV Petrol Ofisi AS, has been in intensive talks with board members of the Vienna Economic Forum from various sectors during a working visit at the premises of VEF. The already exisiting very good cooperation, as well as future fruitful cooperation between DEIK and VEF were discussed.

Secretary General Ambassador Dr. Elena Kirtcheva handed the newly elected Chairman Mrs Gülsum Azeri, the decorations of merits of Vienna Economic Forum for the yearlong partnership with DEIK.


DEIK (Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey), Strategic Partner of Vienna Economic Forum, was founded in 1986, as of May 2016 DEIK has around 1,000 corporate memberships and 133 Business Councils.

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Working visit of H.E. Arlind Zeqiri, Minister für Foreign Investments of Macedonia at VEF

On 21 June 2016 VEF had the honour and the delight to welcome H.E. Minister Arlind Zeqiri at the premises of VEF. Secretary General Amb Dr Kirtcheva met with Minister Zeqiri for a working visit and discussed the further good cooperation between Macedonia and VEF.

Austria is with 500 Million Euro second most important investor in Macedonia. Among the largest Austrian companies present in Macedonia is VEF Cooperation Partner EVN AG.

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The CEO of World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) Mr Bostjan Scalar at a working visit at VEF

Secretary General Ambassador Dr. Elena Kirtcheva was delighted to welcome the CEO of World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) Mr Bostjan Scalar on Thursday, May 19 2016 to a working visit in the premises of the VEF.

The focus of the meeting was on the deepening of cooperation between VEF and WAIPA, particularly in connection with the 13th Vienna Economic Forum - Vienna Future Dialogue 2016 on 21 November 2016, in which the role of the investment agencies of the VEF region, but also of various other states will be highlighted and a special session for the development of the investment climate will be dedicated.

WAIPA was established in 1995 in Switzerland and has, in addition to the headquarters in Geneva, also a current headquarters in Istanbul. In 2015  Mr. Arda Ermut, President of the Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey who is also member of the board of the Vienna Economic Forum was elected as President of WAIPA.

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Visit of the President of the Slovenian Constitutional Court Ambassador Prof. Dr. Ernest Petric at VEF

Secretary General Ambassador Dr. Elena Kirtcheva was delighted to welcome today the longtime President of the Slovenian Constitutional Court and former Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in Austria, Ambassador Prof. Dr. Ernest Petric, along with S.E. Dr. Andrej Rahten, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in the Republic of Austria in the premises of the Vienna Economic Forum.

Ambassador Dr. Petric, who is a yearlong of the Vienna Economic Forum and an expert in the region, received the medal for his services to the Vienna Economic Forum and wished the Vienna Economic Forum further good and successful development.

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Prof. Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis
President and Founder of the
Biopolitics International Organisation

Strategic Partner of
Vienna Economic Forum
receives
WOMAN OF THE YEAR 2016 award
from the Association of Women of Thessalonica–Macedonia “in Athens”
7 March 2016, Megaron – the Athens Concert Hall

PRESS RELEASE

The economic crisis can be overcome. The environmental crisis and the crisis in values which are destroying everything are the result of short-sighted policies from leaders who are oblivious to the real dangers to humanity. Less than 1% of the world’s population controls over 55% of the world’s wealth and power. In Biopolitics, we hope to bring these people together to take a seat around a table and to convince them that they are the only ones who can save bios on our planet. Times of crisis can also become opportunities for change. The response of the Athenian democracy to the Persian threat was to build the Parthenon. The time is ripe for those in charge to take responsibility for their actions. We have the duty to save all life for future generations. Even if there are millions of other planets that posses bios, we are still obligated to save bios on our own planet. And we can achieve this by drawing positive energy from this beautiful and unique gift and by eliminating every negative action and thought.

With these inspiring words, Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis, President and Founder of the Biopolitics International Organisation, accepted the Woman of the Year award from the Association of Women of Thessalonica–Macedonia “in Athens.” The award ceremony was held on March 7, 2016, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, at the Athens Concert Hall (Megaro Mousikis). The event, which met with unprecedented success, was organized by the Association’s President, Kaiti Gakis Kapsis and facilitated by journalist Magda Tsengos.

Kaiti Gakis Kapsis welcomed the audience on behalf of all the members of the Association of Women of Thessalonica–Macedonia “in Athens” and highlighted the contribution of Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis to the common good, as well as her pioneering and time spanning achievements, which transcend national boundaries and have rightfully given her a prominent place among global leaders who have contributed to peace and wellbeing for humanity.

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The following speaker, Maria Gianniris, President of the Panathinaiki Panhellenic Women’s Organisation, also highlighted Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis’ role as a source of light and hope for the future, and placed special emphasis on her unique contribution as Goodwill Ambassador for Autism.

The next speaker to take the floor was former U.N. Assistant Secretary General Sotiris Mousouris, who particularly stressed her dignity and ethos, and hailed her as one of the greatest environmnetal champions in Greece and internationally.

Another close friend, Andreas Zaimis, former Cabinet Minister, made special reference to the work and vision of Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis with regard to her humanitarian efforts.

The event’s keynote speaker was Prof. Christos Efthymiopoulos, Principal Researcher at the Center for Astronomy and Applied Mathematics at the Academy of Athens and a close colleague of Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis’, who spoke about his own experiences at her side, and highlighted the richness of her work and achievements.

The event concluded with Eleftherios Misirgis on the piano.

The award ceremony was attended by many distinguished personalities and people of influence including, among others: Louka Katseli, Chairman and CEO of the National Bank of Greece; Rodi Kratsa, President of the Board of The Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy; Theodoros Fortsakis, Member of Parliament and f. Rector of the University of Athens; Costas Bakouris, Chair of Transparency International Greece; Kaity Tzitzikostas, President of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO; Apostolos Kratsas, f. Cabinet Minister; the Ambassador of Jordan, Fawwaz Qasim Al-Eitan; the Ambassador of Ukraine, Volodymyr Shkurov; industrialist Manuela Vardinoyannis; Ambassador Panayotis Economou; Ambassador Ioannis Bourlogiannis Tsangaridis; ship-owner Andreas Potamianos; the President of “Greek Women in Tourism” Eirini Vassilopoulou; the Chairman of the Union of Greek Press Correspondents Abroad Gogo Hatzinikolaou; Sofia Voultepsi, Member of Parliament; Ioannis Tzen, President of the Hellenic–Russian Union of Friendship and Cooperation; George Papaioannou, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Athens; George Enepekides; Mary Mouzakis from the Mouzakis Group of Enterprises; ICAP Managing Director Dimitris Maniatakis; the Chairman of the Friends of European Cultural Center of Delphi, Dimitra Philippou; the Chairman of DESMOS, Lena Papalexopoulos; the Chairman of MEDASSET Lily Venizelos; Professor Jenny Pange from the University of Ioannina; Composer Iakovos Dakoutros; the Director of Art & Culture a.k.a. Ltd Cyprus & Dubai Alexandra Gika; the President of Global Thinkers Forum Elizabeth Filippouli; and, Professor Alexander Shishkin from the St. Petersburg State University for Plant Polymers, who also delivered a message from the Rector.

Professor Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis, President and Founder of the Biopolitics International Organisation (B.I.O.), has, for the past 30 years, promoted international cooperation for the protection of the unique gift of bios – life – on our planet. Through her pioneer concept of “biopolicy” she has brought together leaders from every corner of globe in a common effort to save the environment and mitigate climate change. For her unparalleled contribution and achievements, she has received numerous international honors and distinctions and has been many times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

For more information, please visit the website at www.biopolitics.gr


 

General Assembly of Vienna Economic Forum on 14 March 2016

On 14 March 2016 the General Assembly took place. This years host was Ing. Wolfgang Hesoun, General Director Siemens AG Austria and Member of the Board of Vienna Economic Forum.

Secretary General Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva presented to the members the numerous activities of Vienna Economic Forum in 2015 and the planned activities for 2016.

President Dr. Busek welcomed the new members; the new members of the Committees and the new Cooperationpartner and Members of the Board of VEF:

  • Mr. Arda Ermut, President, Investment Support and Promotion Ageny of Turkey (ISPAT) and
  • Dr. Milan Parivodic, Owner, Parivodic Lawyers, Serbia

The Team of Vienna Economic Forum thanks all its members and partner for their continous support for the excellent development of the numerous activities of Vienna Economic Forum in Austria and abroad and for their valuable trust.

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