Amb. (ret.) John O’Rourke

Amb. (ret.) John O’Rourke worked in the external relations services of the European Commission, where he focused on Russia and the Newly Independent States (NIS), particularly on cooperation regarding energy and nuclear safety issues. He previously was Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Warsaw and worked on financial cooperation and accession negotiations with Turkey. Besides, he was responsible for the development of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), notably leading the preparation of the Commission proposal for the Eastern Partnership and subsequently its launch. He then headed the Division Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and Iran and was the Ambassador and the Head of the Delegation of the EU to Algeria. He holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His professional interests are centered on the EU’s relations with the countries of the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, particularly in the areas of peacebuilding, energy policy, migration, governance and regulatory alignment.