Regional Security

In an interview with Voice of America, EWI CEO and President Cameron Munter gave his thoughts on how the United States government should approach the recent escalations in the North Korean crisis. Munter contended that before any kind of diplomatic effort could be negotiated, the Trump administration would first have to shift from its currently aggresive public diplomacy to a more subdued, behind the scenes quiet diplomacy. This would allow Washington the time to better understand not just North Korea's intentions, but the intentions of the conflict's other major players, China and South Korea. 

Ultimately, Munter said that if a solution to the conflict does exist, it won't neccessarily be 100% ideal for any of the parties involved. Be that as it may, even if an ideal agreement might not be possible, any agreement would be better than dangerously floating ever-closer to nuclear war. As such, it is crucial that the powers involve meet, negotiate, and agree—at the bare minimum—to the least common denominator of their policy goals. Given the precarious trajectory of events, hasty public denunciations by the U.S. president might ultimately not be in anyone's best interests.

Listen to the full interview at Voice of America here. 

Appearing on Al Jazeera Newshour, EastWest Institute Senior Fellow Franz-Stefan Gady discussed the recently negotiated ASEAN-China South China Sea Code of Conduct. The code hopes to provide a new framework for diplomatically handling the multilateral territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Gady contends that although any diplomatic effort that tries to diffuse armed tensions between nations should be welcome, the code's lack of provision for legal enforcement is likely a diplomatic victory for Beijing, who does not actually want to resolve any of the disputes. China would rather pursue one-on-relations relations with other claimant countries in order to enhance its barganining power. 

Moreover, Gady underscored that the code of conduct will likely attempt to pacify the concerns of outside parties, namely the United States. Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea—which is likely to persist—ultimately serves to challenge the United States' role as a "status quo power" and looks to raise its own sphere of influence in the region. 

The EastWest Institute (EWI) announced today Dr. Wolfgang Klapper as the new head of EWI’s Brussels Center and director of the Afghanistan Reconnected Program. The German Foreign Office assigns as a senior diplomat to the EastWest Institute—a legacy of EWI contributions to Germany. That diplomat serves as vice president and head of the Brussels office.

Dr. Klapper comes to the EastWest Institute from Algeria where he was Deputy Ambassador at the German Embassy in Algiers. He will be replacing Ambassador Martin Fleischer, who is moving on to represent the German government as Consul General in Guangzhou, China.

“We warmly welcome Dr. Klapper, who is prepared to apply his own stamp to the work of our Brussels office and continue our timely and invaluable efforts on Afghanistan and economic and political cooperation in Central and Southwest Asia,’ said Ambassador Cameron Munter, CEO & President of the EastWest Institute.

“EWI also extends its appreciation to Martin Fleischer, who joined us in August 2014 and since that time made a significant contribution to guiding and expanding the Afghanistan Reconnected Program.”

Born in Leverkusen, Dr. Klapper has been in the German foreign service for more than 25 years since his first assignment in Bonn, he has since served in numerous postings, including Ireland, Malawi, Australia and France. Dr. Klapper studied Law at the Universities of Freiburg, Munich and Bonn and obtained his PhD at the University of Bonn in 1989.

In an article for RealClearDefense, EWI President and CEO Cameron Munter writes that the international community—triumphant following the defeat of Islamic State (IS) forces in Mosul—should not forget the city's pressing humanitarian catastrophe. During the course of a three year siege, IS struck a heavyhanded blow to the socio-historical fabric underlying Mosul—numerous cultural markers have been systematicaly destroyed, neighborhoods have been left in shambles, and nearly a million people have been left displaced.

Now that IS has been pushed back, Munter contends that it is necessary for Mosul to be rebuilt in order to prevent further anarchy and human tragedy. Although it will not be an simple task to coordinate multilateral efforts to ease the suffering of the city's citizens, such efforts could provide a positive example of how the international community can work together in the aftermath of destructive terrorism. Eradicating the remants of IS is, of course, still critical, but not addressing Mosul's problems could bring only greater instability to an already afflicted region. 

Read the entire article at RealClearDefense here. 

On July 17, EWI Chief Operating Officer Dr. William J. Parker III greeted Turkish teenagers competing in the FIRST^® Global robotics competition in Washington, D.C. 

Turkey’s Urfa STEM Team, who first came together three year ago, is a robotics group from different high schools throughout southern Turkey. The team’s five members believe that the “best product is born from the best cooperation,” and hope to use their work “to build a better future for everyone.”

Dr. Parker commended the students on their commitment to science, education, and peaceful problem solving. EWI is currently working towards opening an office in Istanbul in an effort to foster better relations between Turkey and its neighbors, the United States as well as Russia.

The robot competition is organized by FIRST^® Global that aims to provide the framework for an “Olympics”-style robotics challenge by inviting one team from every nation to participate in an international robotics event that builds bridges between high school students with different backgrounds, languages, religions, and customs.

This year’s inaugural competition brought together students from 163 countries. Next year it will be hosted in Mexico City.

EWI will honor FIRST^® Global founder Dean Kamen with the Global Change Agent Award on October 4 at the New York Athletic Club, home to Olympic athletes. FIRST^® Global President Joe Sestak, former Admiral and Congressman, modeled the competition’s global expansion on the International Olympic Committee.

For more on FIRST^® Global and Team Turkey, please see here.

Tanjug: In your opinion, what will be the main issues in Mr. Vučić's agenda during his visit to the United States?

Munter: It all boils down to two words: pay attention! I can't say which specific items President Vučić will raise, but his overall message, I believe, will be that there are important challenges and the countries of the region need the United States to help find solutions. From governance in Bosnia or Macedonia to relations between Serbia and Kosovo, from economic integration among those in the region to accession to western institutions, he will certainly as Washington to engage. The United States sees President Vučić as a key figure in maintaining peace and stability in Serbia's neighborhood.

What can we expect from the U.S. administration when we are talking about protection of Serbian minorities in Kosovo and Serbian interests in the dialogue with Pristina?

You'll have to ask the U.S. administration about its policies, of course. During my time as a diplomat, we always emphasized the importance of democratic institutions, including the protection of the rights of minorities.

The U.S. and EU will do everything to help Western Balkan countries on their paths to EU, but we cannot expect their membership before 2030, said State department official, Mr. Brian Hoyt Yee in Belgrade recently. On the other hand, President Vučić asked in Brussels for acceleration of the EU integration process for Serbia and sort of a “special treatment” for our country. Do you expect that he will repeat that stance in Washington?  

It has long been the policy of the United States to promote integration of Balkan states into western institutions, including the EU. This is certainly something that friends of the countries in the region care about.  I'm currently working on a project with ambassadors Frank Wisner and Rosemary DiCarlo to provide the U.S. government with advice on policies that will contribute to the success of all countries in the region—and promotion of integration into western institutions will be a major piece of this.

What is the U.S. position on Serbia's relations with Russia, the Russian influence in the Balkans, and the Serbian-Russian Humanitarian Center? Is  there any truth in speculations that the U.S. administration is also thinking about opening a humanitarian center in Uzice together with the EU and why?

Russia is a friend of Serbia, just as the United States is a friend of Serbia. I think it's wise for Serbia to work with both countries, since both are on record as supporting the Serbian goal of joining the EU and contributing to peace and stability in the Balkans. As for humanitarian centers, I suggest you speak with U.S. government representatives. Personally, rather than hyping a competition about humanitarian centers, I think the best contribution America can make is by increasing investment, taking advantage of the talent the countries like Serbia offer, and the promising sectors of the economy that have enormous potential for success.

What economic questions will be on the agenda during his meetings with U. S. officials?

I have no doubt President Vučić would like to promote economic opportunities in Serbia while he's in the United States. And I agree with him: economics and business is one the keys to future success. The EastWest Institute in New York, where I'm president and CEO, is also engaging again in Serbia and the region, and exploring opportunities for economic and business growth will be on our agenda too. In fact, I'll visit Serbia later this month and look forward to contributing to discussions on regional security, economic opportunity, and a reinvigoration of western commitment to the success of all countries in Balkans. I look forward to being back among friends in Belgrade.

Click here to read the interview in Serbian.