U.S. Ambassadors Discuss Russia, EU at UNO Forum

OMAHA – Recent actions by Russia and their impact on both the European Union (EU) and NATO will be the topic as four former international ambassadors visit the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) campus for the 2015 Omaha Ambassadors Forum.

The event will take place Monday, April 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Scott Conference Center, 6450 Pine St.

Registration for the event, which is free, is available online at the following link.

Organized by the UNO International Studies Program and The Burlington International Group, the event will feature four former U.S. ambassadors who have collectively served in half a dozen countries.

The list of ambassadors includes Ambassador James F. Collins, who served as ambassador to the Russian Federation from 1997 to 2001; Ambassador Robert Hunter, who served as U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 1993 to 1998; Ambassador Allan Wendt, who served as Ambassador of Slovenia from 1992 to 1995; and Ambassador Ronald Neumann, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State during the Clinton administration and ambassador to Algeria, Bahrain and Afghanistan.

The focus of this year’s forum, titled “Russia, America and Europe: Policy Choices for the Atlantic Alliance” will focus largely on the events taking place between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The different ambassadors will approach the relationship from unique perspectives.

The media are encouraged to attend the event. If there are questions or requests for interviews, please contact Charley Reed, UNO Associate Director of Media Relations, at 402.554.2129 or unonews@unomaha.edu.

About the Ambassadors

Ambassador James F. Collins served as U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation from 1997 to 2001. Before his appointment, he served as a special advisor to the Secretary of State for post-Soviet Union states in the mid-1990s. He has also served in various roles in the U.S. embassies in Amman, Jordan and Izmir, Turkey.

Ambassador Robert Hunter is currently a Senior Fellow and Visiting Scholar at the Center for Transatlantic Relations and Senior International Consultant to Lockheed Martin Oversees Corporation. Prior to these roles, he served as Senior Advisor at the RAND Corporation (1998-2011) and U.S. Ambassador to NATO (1993-1998). He also served on President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Council staff in charge of West European Affairs and Middle East Affairs.

Ambassador Allan Wendt is currently an international affairs consultant based out of Washington, D.C. and since 2001 has provided public diplomacy work for the U.S. government. Wendt served as the first U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia from 1992 to 1995 and, prior to that, filled various roles within the U.S. Department of State from 1975 through 1988.

Ambassador Ronald Neumann is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for President Bill Clinton and has served three times as an ambassador, to Algeria (1994-1997), Bahrain (2001-2004) and Afghanistan (2005-2007). Neumann frequently returns to Afghanistan and writes extensively about his time there and current events regarding the area. He is the author of “The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan,” which was published in 2009.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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