On October 2, the EastWest Institute (EWI) honored Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger and Stephen B. Heintz with its John Edwin Mroz Global Statesman Award, in recognition of their distinguished careers as statesmen and long-standing contributions to advancing the interest of Transatlantic relations.
The awards were presented as part of EWI’s Annual Gala, held at the Metropolitan Club, in New York City. The evening’s program featured a keynote presentation by Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, International Affairs Advisor, Squire Patton Boggs, LLP; personal remarks by Dr. Armen Sarkissian, President of Armenia, as well as by Mr. Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Mrs. Frances Fragos Townsend, Executive Vice President, MacAndrews and Forbes Incorporated, served as Master of Ceremonies.
Other dignitaries in attendance included Ambassador Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Turkey to the United Nations; Ambassador Adela Raz, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations; Alper Aktas, Consul General of Turkey in New York; and Ayesha Ali, Consul General of Pakistan in New York.
“Wolfgang and Stephen are true statesmen,” commented Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman of the EastWest Institute. “From the Balkans conflict to today’s disagreements about security and trade, they have bridged differences and built trust across the Atlantic. The thoughtful approach embodied by our honorees will continue to sustain our most important security alliance in the years ahead.”
Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger is the Chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and teaches at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, where he is the Director of the Center for International Security Policy. A noted expert on foreign, security and defense policy issues, he serves as an advisor to the private and public sectors on strategic issues. His long-standing and distinguished diplomatic career has seen him serve as the Federal Republic of Germany's Ambassador to the United Kingdom and United States, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Germany, represented the European Union in the Troika negotiations on the future of Kosovo and as the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-In-Office in the Ukraine crisis, in 2014.
Stephen B. Heintz is a leading figure in philanthropy and a highly respected voice on political affairs. President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund since 2001, he led a joint initiative with the UN Association of the USA to establish a Track II dialogue and help set a path towards the Iran nuclear deal. In 2007, he hosted dialogues that resulted in the Pocantico Declaration, paving the way for the Kosovo independence process. Heintz previously served as chief operating officer for the EastWest Institute during the 1990s. Based in Prague, he focused programmatic efforts on civil society development, economic reform and international security in Central and Eastern Europe following the fall of the Berlin Wall. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.
“The EastWest Institute is fortunate to have had Wolfgang and Stephen as Directors for over 18 years,” stated Dr. William J. Parker III, chief executive officer and president of the EastWest Institute. “Many of the successes that the Institute has attained in conflict prevention, especially in the Balkan region, can be attributed to their leadership and guidance. The longevity of their careers at the highest levels of international peacebuilding is a testament to their contributions and is especially relevant in the present day, where multilateralism and diplomatic engagement are being challenged.”
Both of this year’s honorees have been actively associated with the EastWest Institute and served on its Board of Directors since 2001.
The EastWest Institute (EWI) established the John Edwin Mroz Global Statesman Award in memory of its late founder. This award recognizes people who share John’s vision of a peaceful world, who work passionately to achieve it and who embody his values as a trust-builder.
