On December 4, 2014, The European Institute hosted a breakfast discussion with The Honorable Marko Mihkelson, Member of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) & Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee who assessed the rapidly evolving global security environment facing both Europe and the United States. Mr. Mihkelson emphasized that the current situation in Ukraine and Europe’s Eastern neighborhood presents a challenge not only to Estonia but to all countries that respect international law share common values, and he stressed the importance of updating the European Security Strategy which has not been revised since 2003.
By Michael D. Mosettig, Former Foreign Producer at PBS News Hour
The words from the Secretary General of NATO were strong and bracing. The question on the minds of most of his Washington audience: was anyone in Moscow listening?
Anders Fogh Rasmussen wrapped up two days of talks with Obama Administration officials with an appearance at the Brookings Institution. The title of the speech, submitted in advance, was, "The Future of the Atlantic Alliance: Revitalizing NATO for a Changing World." Its original purpose was to describe how NATO would handle its summer withdrawal from Afghanistan and its plans for a September summit in Wales.
Institutions matter. That trite phrase has come back into its own in the continuing crisis over Crimea. The roles that the European Union played, wittingly or not, in the run-up to the actions taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin are now being raked over. Did the EU respond too late to the financial crisis in Ukraine? Did it interfere too boldly in Ukrainian internal politics? Was EU leadership too weak? Too strong? The answers to these questions cannot all be “Yes,” and people in the various EU institutions will be debating them for a long time to come.
On November 12, 2013, The European Institute, in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia hosted a special meeting with The Honorable Roman Jakic, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Slovenia to discuss the future of Euro-Atlantic security integration. Minister Jakic focused on the prospects for greater regional cooperation in the Balkans, the prospects for NATO enlargement in 2014, and the vital role that NATO continues to play in insuring security for both Europe and the United States in a rapidly changing global strategic environment.
On September 20, 2013, The European Institute, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria, convened a luncheon discussion with The Honorable Kristian Vigenin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.The meeting focused on the implications of the Syrian crisis for both Europe and Bulgaria. Minister Vigenin called for increased security and technical assistance to handle the steady flow of Syrian refugees to his country as well as for greater solidarity from Bulgaria’s European neighbors in providing humanitarian assistance for the refugees. He also expressed hope that a resolution could be agreed upon during the United Nations General Assembly for an effective dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons capability, and warily welcomed the marked change of tenor from Tehran’s leadership.
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