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Aspen Security Forum gathers experts in global, domestic affairs for wide-ranging conversation

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) speaks with journalist Andrea Mitchell at the Aspen Security Forum on July 21, 2023. Blinken is slated to return for the 2024 event.
Daniel Bayer
/
Courtesy of the Aspen Security Forum
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) speaks with journalist Andrea Mitchell at the Aspen Security Forum on July 21, 2023. Blinken is slated to return for the 2024 event.

The Aspen Security Forum will gather world leaders and experts in global affairs at the Aspen Institute campus this week for conversations that range from the war in Ukraine to space exploration.

The four-day program, running Tuesday through Friday, largely revolves around topics in defense, intelligence and conflict.

Speakers include current U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as well as INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock, multiple U.S. senators and high-up officials from countries like Singapore and Germany.

The leaders of several major companies and nongovernmental organizations will be there, too, as well as some writers and filmmakers. (In one unique book talk, author Natasha Lance Rogoff will talk about “The Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia.”)

However, several previously-announced speakers are no longer on the lineup following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday. That includes Director of the U.S. Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who are now involved in briefings and investigations about the shooting.

The caliber of the speakers warrants tight security at the in-person event, and attendees must be vetted and approved for a pass through the Aspen Strategy Group that organizes the forum.

There is also a livestream option for anyone who signs up online. Aspen Public Radio will broadcast select sessions at 8 p.m. each night of the forum.

Note: This story has been updated on July 15 and 17 to reflect updates to the Aspen Security Forum lineup, following an assassination attempt at former President Donald Trump's campaign rally on July 13 and other changes to speaker availability.

Kaya Williams is the Edlis Neeson Arts and Culture Reporter at Aspen Public Radio, covering the vibrant creative and cultural scene in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. She studied journalism and history at Boston University, where she also worked for WBUR, WGBH, The Boston Globe and her beloved college newspaper, The Daily Free Press. Williams joins the team after a stint at The Aspen Times, where she reported on Snowmass Village, education, mental health, food, the ski industry, arts and culture and other general assignment stories.