47th Munich Security Conference

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US Secretary of State Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov after exchanging the instruments of ratification for the new START treaty

The 47th Munich Security Conference took place from February 4th to 6th, 2011 with around 350 high-ranking participants.

subjects

Observers spoke of a "historic moment" when, during the course of the event, American Secretary of State Clinton and her Russian counterpart Lavrov put the new START treaty into effect by exchanging their ratification documents . The treaty, the most important agreement on nuclear disarmament between the USA and Russia for twenty years, obliges both states to reduce their nuclear warheads by a third from 2,200 to 1,550 by 2018 and to more than halve the number of strategic delivery systems to 700 each. Mutual inspections of the nuclear facilities were also allowed again by the contract. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described the treaty as a "historic milestone" in the disarmament towards a world free of nuclear weapons. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen linked the treaty with the hope of intensifying cooperation with Russia. In the disputes over NATO's plans for European missile defense , however, there was no rapprochement.

Chancellor Angela Merkel at the 2011 conference

Another topic of the conference was the risks of digital attacks . While Chancellor Angela Merkel compared their threat potential with that of a classic war and called for international agreements against cyber attacks and Internet crime , Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière announced the creation of a national cyber defense center .

In a speech on the situation in his country, Afghan President Hamid Karzai linked his announcement that Afghanistan would develop into an “effective state” by 2015 with the demand that international financial aid in future be exclusively through the government in Kabul and no longer decentrally through various Handle organizations. However, Karzai's request was rejected by conference participants, citing the widespread corruption in the country.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, 2011

The protests that had broken out in Egypt a few days earlier were the dominant theme of the conference and led to changes in the program at short notice. Federal Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg also addressed the protests in his opening speech and called the demands of the Egyptian demonstrators "legitimate". The defense minister stated that apparently all western governments and experts had been surprised by the events in Egypt. He also called for support for the protest movement there, as did Chancellor Merkel, who declared that Western governments were “obliged” to intervene. In her speech, Merkel referred to her own experiences in connection with the peaceful revolution in the GDR and urged the Egyptian revolutionaries to be patient. With reference to a "peaceful and orderly" development in Egypt, the Chancellor spoke out against quick elections in the country, as these could prevent the emergence of new structures. Merkel, along with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov , refused to interfere in the subsequent debate about Egyptian President Husni Mubarak .

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the 47th MSC

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed great understanding for the unrest in Egypt. Ban named the protests as a result of widespread insecurity among the people, caused by poverty, lack of prospects, corruption, democratic deficits and government failure. The UN Secretary General said: "Uncertainty grows with injustice when human rights and human dignity are not fully respected and there are strong and growing inequalities." Ban warned of an uncertain outcome of the Arab protests and called on the governments in the region to carry out further reforms .

US Secretary of State Clinton expressed her conviction that, in addition to Egypt, the entire region had been gripped by unstoppable change that could also lead to "temporary instabilities" or a "relapse into a new autocratic regime". For the future, she called for free elections in Egypt under international observation.

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron at the 2011 Security Conference

British Prime Minister Cameron called for social reforms to be initiated quickly in Egypt, warning that further delays could favor radical forces. The British Prime Minister expressed himself optimistically about the country's democratic development and viewed the protests as evidence that “Western values ​​and Islam are a perfect match”. At the same time, Cameron called for decisive action against Islamist movements within the EU. The British Prime Minister called for more “muscular liberalism” instead of passive tolerance that favors parallel societies. Europe must “wake up” and stand up for values ​​such as freedom of expression , democracy and equal civil rights , said Cameron, who in this context advocated a strict separation of religion and extremism and declared: “Islamic extremism and Islam are not the same”.

Web links

Commons : 47th Munich Security Conference  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Munich Security Conference begins. zeit.de, February 4, 2011, accessed on November 14, 2013 .
  2. ↑ a b c Start treaty between Russia and USA in force. focus.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 14, 2013 .
  3. ↑ a b c New start contract comes into force. Nuclear disarmament. focus.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 14, 2013 .
  4. ↑ Disarmament deal on an unadorned podium. welt.de, February 6, 2011, accessed on November 14, 2013 .
  5. ↑ a b USA and Russia bring disarmament treaty into force. Nuclear Weapons Agreement. spiegel.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 14, 2013 .
  6. ↑ START treaty creates a solid basis for Russian-American cooperation - Lavrov. ria.ru, February 5, 2011, accessed November 14, 2013 .
  7. ↑ Dispute over bomb makers and missile shields. Start agreement. zeit.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 14, 2013 .
  8. ↑ Merkel: Cyberwar was as dangerous as classic war. faz.net, February 6, 2011, accessed November 16, 2013 .
  9. ↑ Attacks on government networks four to five times a day. Interview with interior minister. welt.de, February 5, 2011, accessed November 16, 2013 .
  10. ↑ De Maiziere sounds the alarm. Cyber ​​war could paralyze Germany. n-tv.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 16, 2013 .
  11. ↑ Karzai promises a lot, Westerwelle demands more. zeit.de, February 6, 2011, accessed November 16, 2013 .
  12. ↑ Egypt through the back door. zeit.de, February 4, 2011, accessed on November 21, 2013 .
  13. ↑ a b Egypt - far away and yet omnipresent. stern.de, February 4, 2011, accessed on November 21, 2013 .
  14. ↑ a b Merkel's experience of the revolution is in demand. welt.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 21, 2013 .
  15. ↑ a b c Merkel believes quick elections in Egypt are wrong. welt.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 21, 2013 .
  16. ↑ a b c Clinton calls for free elections in Egypt. spiegel.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 21, 2013 .
  17. ↑ a b c Merkel expects rapid change in Egypt. zeit.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 22, 2013 .
  18. ↑ a b c USA distance themselves from the special envoy. fr-online.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 22, 2013 .
  19. ↑ Chancellor Merkel's model for Egypt. rp-online.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 22, 2013 .
  20. ↑ Egypt busy Munich Security Conference. In: bundesregierung.de. February 5, 2011, accessed June 29, 2017 .
  21. ↑ Clinton: Change is affecting the entire Middle East. focus.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 22, 2013 .
  22. ↑ Merkel fears a power vacuum in Egypt. focus.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 23, 2013 .
  23. ↑ British Prime Minister: Cameron sees multicultural approach as a failure. spiegel.de, February 5, 2011, accessed on November 23, 2013 .