50th Munich Security Conference

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Federal President Joachim Gauck opens the 50th Security Conference

The 50th Munich Security Conference took place from January 31 to February 2, 2014. More than 400 international guests attended the event, including 20 heads of state and government, 50 foreign and defense ministers and 90 government delegations. With Joachim Gauck , a German Federal President gave the opening speech for the first time .

Opening speech

In his speech, Gauck called for a new German foreign policy, combined with a stronger foreign policy commitment from Germany, which must show greater self-confidence and take on more responsibility. The Federal President described the Federal Republic as "the best Germany that we have ever had". The country should not hide behind its historical guilt. He appealed to the federal government not to “flee from threats”. Rather, Germany must “play a more decisive and substantial role” in defending its own values. Finally, the Federal President urged a correction of the German self-image. The previous six decades of the Federal Republic as a free and stable state justified the Germans' “trust and confidence” in themselves. Gauck called this a prerequisite for being “reliable for partners” in the world.

Euromaidan

US Secretary of State John Kerry with the Ukrainian opposition politicians Petro Poroshenko , Vitali Klitschko and Arsenij Yatsenjuk

A dominant theme of the conference was the violent clashes between the government and the opposition in Ukraine . While US Secretary of State Kerry pledged the support of the West to the Ukrainian opposition, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov accused the Western states of supporting a violent uprising in Ukraine that had gotten out of hand. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, on the other hand, accused Russia of disregarding Ukraine's right to freely choose alliances. During a panel discussion , the opposition politician Vitali Klitschko , who traveled from Ukraine at short notice, accused his country's government of reacting to the opposition's demands with terror and violence. Klitschko called for economic sanctions against those responsible for the violence. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Koschara rejected the allegations that his country's policies were directed against Europe. Since Ukraine belongs geographically to Europe and at the same time has very close relations with Russia , his country should not be placed before the alternative "Europe or Russia", warned Koschara. Ukraine has also already met important demands of the opposition, the foreign minister said. Klitschko countered his assertion that the violence in Ukraine originated from the terrorists by distributing a catalog with pictures of the protests in Ukraine to panelists and spectators. With an invitation to the conflicting parties in Ukraine and the foreign ministers of important EU states, the EU Foreign Affairs Representative Catherine Ashton launched a mediation initiative during the security conference. During the Security Conference, the Swiss Federal President Didier Burkhalter, in his function as OSCE Chairman, renewed an existing mediation offer by the OSCE to the conflicting parties in Ukraine.

New security risks

Panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of the conference

In a panel discussion on the history of the security conference on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the conference, former Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and the former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger also took part in two guests from the first International Armed Forces Meeting in 1963. Former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing , the former Federal Minister for Special Tasks Egon Bahr , the former British Foreign Minister David Miliband and the incumbent Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also participated in the discussion . In the course of the discussion, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing referred to the development that the number of major wars had declined while the extent of violence, the risks of new threats such as terror or cyber attacks and the number of refugees worldwide had increased. The former French President defended his country's military interventions in Africa.

Henry Kissinger also shared the assessment of an increasingly complex global security situation, which makes it difficult to develop “coherent strategies”. The former US Secretary of State referred to Sino-Japanese territorial conflicts that could lead to military clashes. Europe, on the other hand, is very “reluctant to engage in military conflicts”, according to Kissinger, and is sometimes too “hesitant” to combat violence - a criticism that Giscard d'Estaing has already raised and which is linked to the accusation of European “discouragement” would have. However, referring to the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq , Kissinger warned against letting a “moment of anger” guide oneself when deciding on military interventions if there is no willingness to “see through such wars to the end”.

Egon Bahr emphasized the risks of new types of threats that are difficult to localize, such as cyber attacks on power grids or other infrastructure facilities. These threats also made the USA vulnerable and showed an existing inability to resist, continued Bahr, who called for a defense policy of deterrence analogous to the threat from nuclear weapons. When asked about the future of NATO, Bahr, like Kissinger and Giscard, was convinced that it would continue to exist in ten years.

Loss of importance for Europe

Former Chancellor Schmidt predicted that Europe would lose importance. According to Schmidt, the consequences of global population growth are decisive for the future of the continent. In 2050, Europe will only make up seven percent of the world's population, while in 1950 more than one in five people lived in Europe. According to Schmidt, the Europeans overestimated their global importance. The former chancellor was also critical of global urbanization, which was leading to the emergence of “metropolitan masses” that were “easily seduced” by modern media. Schmidt named the “power of financial managers” as a further threat, which was unbroken despite the recent financial crisis. Schmidt described the current policy of the European Union as endangering the future: "If the EU keeps muddling around, NATO will still be there in ten years, but perhaps not the EU." David Miliband described a loss of importance for traditional foreign policy and attributed it to this that voters were increasingly focusing on regional and national issues.

NSA affair

Secretary of Defense hail on the 50th MSC

There was no convergence in the transatlantic conflict on NSA surveillance in Europe. US Ministers Kerry and Hagel avoided any mention of the contentious issue. Instead, Kerry spoke out in favor of a “transatlantic renaissance” based on shared values. Hagel emphasized the role of Europe as an "irreplaceable partner" of the USA. Both ministers promoted the Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TTIP). US Senator John McCain, on the other hand, described a “credibility problem” in connection with the NSA spying on allies, which the American government must address with transparency in order to regain lost trust. Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière clearly criticized the NSA espionage . During a discussion event he called the spying on German citizens "excessive" and called for a "signal from the Americans to their closest partner in Europe". The political damage caused by the wiretapping measures is greater than its security benefit, explained de Maizière. The Federal Minister of the Interior called the information provided by the American side completely inadequate. The minister had no great expectations of a possible no-spy agreement with the USA. Like Kerry and Hagel, de Maizière also advocated continuing negotiations on the free trade agreement. The CDU MEP Elmar Brok predicted the TTIP treaty would lose the vote in the EU Parliament in the event that the NSA activities were not dealt with. Company representatives from Deutsche Telekom, Huawei and Microsoft demanded binding international standards for internet security from the states. Telekom boss Timotheus Höttges spoke out in favor of an international convention of fundamental digital rights. Microsoft Vice President Matt Thomlinson announced the opening of in-house transparency centers, including a. in Brussels. There, governments could check the source code of Microsoft products to ensure that they did not contain any back doors for US intelligence agencies.

New order in the former Yugoslavia

EU representative Ashton with Presidents Dačić and Thaçi

The two Prime Ministers from Serbia and Kosovo , Ivica Dačić and Hashim Thaçi , also appeared at the conference and, moderated by EU Foreign Affairs Representative Catherine Ashton, discussed the rapprochement between the two countries, which led to the conclusion of the normalization agreement in 2013. Both politicians reaffirmed their intention to strive for solutions "that advance the two peoples". Dačić described the rapprochement process as a “tightrope act” and Thaçi referred to resistance in the population that had to be overcome before the agreement.

middle East

A meeting of the Middle East Quartet took place on the sidelines of the conference, at which EU representative Ashton offered economic aid to Israelis and Palestinians if both parties agreed to a peace agreement. US Secretary of State Kerry had previously described the failure of the Middle East negotiations as "unacceptable".

Following the unsuccessful negotiations between the Syrian civil war parties in Geneva immediately before , there was also no rapprochement on the Syrian conflict at the security conference . Despite his announcement of follow-up negotiations, UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi described the international peace efforts in Syria as having failed. Brahimi warned of a further escalation of the situation in Syria.

Kerry , Ban , Brahimi and Lavrov ahead of Syria negotiations during the 50th conference

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the conflicting parties to conduct future negotiations "seriously and sincerely". The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Jawad Zarif repeated his country's call for a ceasefire in Syria and at the same time pointed out the difficulties in monitoring it.

Iranian nuclear program

During a debate on the Iranian nuclear program , Sarif insisted on his country's right to use nuclear energy. In connection with the upcoming international negotiations, "many steps still need to be taken", said the Iranian Foreign Minister. Sarif described the agreements previously reached as an important beginning and assured Iran's readiness for constructive negotiations. The IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano spoke of positive feedback from Iran, but there is still a lot of work to do. Amano also pointed out that the IAEA still does not have access to all nuclear facilities and that one cannot therefore "exclude the non-peaceful nature of some Iranian activities". Following the discussion, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Jaalon warned against too much optimism and that Iran would continue to develop its nuclear program during the ongoing negotiations. The fact that Jaalon and the Israeli UN Ambassador Ron Prosor had previously personally followed the appearance of the Iranian Foreign Minister in the auditorium was interpreted as a public gesture of rapprochement with Iran. The Iranian nuclear program was also the subject of a meeting between Sarif and US Secretary of State Kerry.

Broadcast reports

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lockout plan, procedure, demos: Everything about Siko. Abendzeitung-muenchen.de, January 28, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  2. ^ A b Gauck calls for a more decisive foreign policy in Germany. zeit.de, January 31, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  3. ^ A b Gauck calls for more active German foreign policy. welt.de, January 31, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  4. ^ Opening of the 50th Munich Security Conference. "Germany's Role in the World: Comments on Responsibility, Norms and Alliances". bundespraesident.de, January 31, 2014, accessed March 25, 2014 .
  5. ^ A b Gauck calls for a new German foreign policy. faz.net, January 31, 2014, accessed March 25, 2014 .
  6. ↑ "This is the best Germany we've ever had". focus.de, January 31, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  7. ↑ Gauck wants more decisive foreign policy. Keynote address at the Munich Security Conference. tagesschau.de, January 31, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  8. ↑ Gauck at the security conference: Germany should interfere more in the world. spiegel.de, January 31, 2014, accessed March 25, 2014 .
  9. ↑ a b And not a word about the NSA. Kerry and Hagel in Munich. faz.net, February 1, 2014, accessed March 25, 2014 .
  10. ↑ Klitschko's struggle for the west. Opposition leader at security conference. spiegel.de, February 1, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  11. ↑ Russia continues to quarrel with the West. handelsblatt.com, February 1, 2014, accessed March 25, 2014 .
  12. ↑ a b Klitschko accuses the Ukrainian government of terror and violence. zeit.de, February 1, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  13. ↑ Klitschko as a valued supplicant. zeit.de, February 2, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  14. ↑ Klitschko wins battle as a popular figure. welt.de, February 1, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  15. ↑ Vitali Klitschko and his opponent. tagesspiegel.de, February 1, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  16. ↑ Klitschko relies on the power of images. faz.net, February 1, 2014, accessed March 25, 2014 .
  17. ↑ Desperately looking for a mediator. Ukraine crisis at the security conference. sueddeutsche.de, February 1, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  18. ↑ Burkhalter sends a mediation offer to Ukraine. Tagesanzeiger.ch, February 1, 2014, accessed on March 25, 2014 .
  19. ↑ a b c d e "I don't care if NATO still exists in ten years". faz.net, February 1, 2014, accessed March 27, 2014 .
  20. ↑ a b The visit of the old gentlemen. Kissinger, Schmidt and Giscard. handelsblatt.com, February 2, 2014, accessed March 27, 2014 .
  21. ↑ a b c d e Helmut Schmidt, Henry Kissinger, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Egon Bahr on a stage. general-anzeiger-bonn.de, February 3, 2014, accessed on March 27, 2014 .
  22. ↑ The great old men remember old times. (No longer available online.) Zeit.de, February 1, 2014, archived from the original on December 3, 2015 ; accessed on October 6, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.zeit.de
  23. ↑ a b eloquent silence. NSA not an issue in Munich. tagesspiegel.de, February 2, 2014, accessed April 15, 2014 .
  24. ↑ a b The Smile Command from Washington. handelsblatt.com, February 1, 2014, accessed April 15, 2014 .
  25. ↑ Transatlantic Low. berliner-zeitung.de, February 2, 2014, accessed April 15, 2014 .
  26. ^ German-American speechlessness in the NSA dispute. US politicians urge the importance of the free trade agreement - Germans want to see a breach of trust cemented first. (No longer available online.) Derstandard.at, February 2, 2014, archived from the original on April 16, 2014 ; Retrieved April 15, 2014 .
  27. ↑ a b De Maizière calls US wiretapping excessive. zeit.de, January 31, 2014, accessed April 15, 2014 .
  28. ↑ Kerry on the NSA scandal: Not a bit sorry. spiegel.de, February 1, 2014, accessed April 15, 2014 .
  29. ↑ Security Conference: De Maizière criticizes the NSA surveillance. heise.de, January 31, 2014, accessed April 15, 2014 .
  30. ↑ Enver Hoxhaj: EU must get more involved in Ukraine. faz.net, February 2, 2014, accessed April 21, 2014 .
  31. ↑ Old men and old times. stuttgarter-nachrichten.de, February 3, 2014, accessed on April 21, 2014 .
  32. ↑ Thaci: "Making peace is more difficult than starting war". diepresse.com, February 2, 2014, accessed April 21, 2014 .
  33. ↑ EU wants to reward Israel and Palestinians for peace agreements. derstandard.at, February 1, 2014, accessed on April 21, 2014 .
  34. ^ "Unbearable": Israel angry at Kerry's warnings. rp-online.de, February 2, 2014, accessed on April 21, 2014 .
  35. ↑ a b UN mediator sees Syria talks failed. welt.de, February 1, 2014, accessed on April 29, 2014 .
  36. ↑ Long faces when it comes to Syria. zeit.de, February 1, 2014, accessed April 29, 2014 .
  37. ↑ The international community fails because of Syria. dw.de, February 2, 2014, accessed on April 29, 2014 .
  38. ↑ a b Security conference debates nuclear dispute with Iran. dw.de, February 2, 2014, accessed on April 29, 2014 .
  39. ↑ Iran FM: Israel must restore Palestinian rights. timesofisrael.com, February 2, 2014, accessed April 29, 2014 .
  40. ↑ Iran seduces the West. spiegel.de, February 2, 2014, accessed April 29, 2014 .
  41. ↑ The Bad Boy from Israel. Iran debate at the security conference. n-tv.de, February 2, 2014, accessed April 29, 2014 .
  42. ^ Israeli Officials Stay to Hear Iranian Minister's Presentation. time.com, February 3, 2014, accessed April 29, 2014 .
  43. ^ Meeting of Kerry and Sarif: USA wants to maintain sanctions against Iran for the time being. spiegel.de, February 2, 2014, accessed April 29, 2014 .