Given the extent of the structural shifts in politics in post-2003 Iraq, the level of destruction in the liberated areas and the depth of distrust among communities, the challenge of post-ISIS recovery could not be greater.  To create an inclusive political order in Nineveh and provide a successful model for other parts of Iraq, policy- and decision-makers must engage in constructive debate, share visions and develop strategies tailor-made for the province.

To facilitate such debate among local, national and international stakeholders, the EastWest Institute co-organized a dialogue and workshop with the Middle East Research Institute (MERI). Held in Loosdrecht, Netherlands on May 31 to June 1, the event brought together representatives of Nineveh’s ethnic and religious communities, members of the Nineveh Provincial Council, the Iraqi Federal Government, the Kurdistan Regional Government and a selection of international donor countries and international non-governmental organizations.

The aim of the workshop was to:

• provide a platform for strategic, thought-provoking and action-focused dialogue on the process of post-ISIS reconstruction in Nineveh over the short, intermediate and long-term.
• support the development of coherent policy responses to the most pressing issues facing Nineveh whilst taking into account the political, sectarian, and ethnic diversity of the province.

The EastWest Institute and MERI will publish a policy report from the event.

A high-level U.S. delegation led by EastWest Institute (EWI) CEO and President Cameron Munter held three days of meetings with top Chinese officials and experts from June 12-14, 2017, in Beijing. The meetings were part of the 11th U.S.-China High-Level Security Dialogue and were organized by EWI in partnership with the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS).

The High-Level Security Dialogue is an annual dialogue between U.S. and Chinese academics, former and current military and government officials and business leaders. This year’s dialogue occurred during a time of political transition in both countries with the Trump administration in its first six months in the United States and China preparing for its 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Candid and substantive discussions during the dialogue covered a range of challenging topics affecting the bilateral relationship, including the impact of domestic factors on U.S.-China relations; Asia-Pacific security topics, particularly the North Korea issue; globalization; and trade and economic issues.

In addition to a full day of dialogue at CIIS, the delegation also visited the China Reform Forum, the National Defense University of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. Delegates met with Minister Wang Yi and Vice Minister Zheng Zeguang at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vice Minister Guo Yezhou of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and officials from the United States and Republic of Korea embassies in Beijing.

Pictured: Ambassador Cameron Munter shaking hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. 

Founder of the Data Security Council of India and EWI Distinguished Fellow Kamlesh Bajaj wrote—in an article for The Wire—on the difficulties behind international cooperation in cyberspace security. Analyzing the cyber playing field following the WannaCry worm outbreak earlier this year, Bajaj remarked that although it is high time that countries agree to limit the cyber arms race, such a restriction might be difficult to unilaterally achieve through conventional first-track diplomatic efforts. Bajaj particularly questioned whether "some specifics [could] be identified and debated by the private tech sector in Track 2 mode, then moved to 1.5 or straightaway to Track 1 for the framing of international norms." 

That being said, regardless of the efforts of nongovernmental agencies themselves, he underscored that "[cyber] security has become a shared responsibility between tech companies and customers and the stockpiling of vulnerability by governments." National governments are ultimately responsible for coordinating policy on this front in order to prevent the serious cybersecurity lapses. Such endeavors might of course go against the ability of these nations to build up their own cyber arms, but they are, as Bajaj argues, necessary for the maintenance of cybersecurity. 

Click here to access the full article at The Wire.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Cameron Munter, President and CEO of the EastWest Institute, said that China's trade push in Afghanistan would "make an enormous change in the way countries in the region see one another."

Munter was speaking during an international symposium in Beijing last week, which was co-organized by EWI's Afghanistan Reconnected Process. The conference—the first one dedicated specifically to the trade plan between Afghanistan and Beijing—focused on ways to unlock both Afghanistan's and the broader region's economic potential during a vital time of transition as well as on on fresh opportunities provided by China's Belt and Road Initiative. 

Click here to access the article at the South China Morning Post. 

The EastWest Institute would like to acknowledge the passing of Dr. Helmut Kohl, Germany's ex-Chancellor and architect of the country’s reunification.

Mr. Kohl died on June 16 at the age of 87. 
 
“It is with deep sadness that we hear of the passing of Dr. Kohl,” commented Ambassador Cameron Munter, CEO & President of the EastWest Institute. “Dr. Kohl was a true statesman and visionary, championing the institutions of democracy in his homeland and for all of Europe. He will be sorely missed, but his pioneering work and influence will continue to leave an indelible mark on world affairs.” 
 
Dr. Kohl was awarded the EastWest Institute’s “Statesman of the Decade” Award in 1999 for his tireless work in leading post-war Europe and bringing East and West Germany together after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the same year he was confirmed, along with former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, as EastWest Institute Honorary Co-Chairmen.
 
A politician for most of his adult life, Dr. Kohl was chancellor of then West Germany between 1982 and 1990, and the reunified Germany between 1990 and 1998. His tenure as head of the center-right Christian Democratic Union Party for a 16 year period was the longest of any German Chancellor since Otto von Bismarck.

Kohl, Margaret Thatcher and EWI's founder John Edwin Mroz

EWI Chief Operating Officer Dr. William J. Parker III hosted the event and the three panelists—Dr. Zaher Sahoul, Colonel Patrick J. Mahaney, Jr. and Loubna Mrie—provided their insights during the lively and substantial conversation moderated by EWI Visiting Scholar and journalist Tara Kangarlou.

The discussion centered on identifying key contributing factors to the Syrian conflict, the ongoing humanitarian crisis and an examination of the actors involved in this very complex landscape. There was a strong emphasis on the plight of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons, the challenges imposed on host communities and the impact extremism plays on the most vulnerable, disenfranchised and under-served individuals, which, based on current studies and demographics, paint a potentially dire picture for the next generation of Syrian youth.   

Dr. Sahoul is a senior advisor and past president of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and currently leads SAMS Global Response to address the refugee crisis in Europe and provide medical relief in disaster areas. Colonel Mahaney is a U.S. Army Special Forces Officer who has served as a Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and as a commander of the U.S. Army’s Asymmetric Warfare Group. Mrie is a Syrian activist and photojournalist who has closely covered the ongoing conflict in her country.

Parker expressed his strong support for Trump's pick for the Secretary of the Navy remarking that Spencer, based on his extensive experience, intellectual acumen and consistent focus on transparency and accountability is a superb candidate for the job. 

Asked about the current status of the U.S. Navy and its ability to carry out its objectives across the world, Parker commented that, "The United States Navy remains the most capable maritime force in the world…but in addition to lethality, numbers do matter. The fact that we have had about 100 ships deployed on any one day over the past few decades, yet our number of ships has dropped by half places a strain on the warfighting support of organizing, training and equipping the force. The technology and lethality continue to improve on those ships. We simply need to align our resources with the real world requirements.”

Parker also made it clear that although there were growing foreign security challenges to the U.S. Navy, there are no challenges that we cannot resolve as a nation.  

Click here to listen to the interview. 

Beijing, China — The EastWest Institute (EWI), the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC), the National Institute of Strategic Communication at Peking University (NISC), and the Centre for China & Globalization (CCG) will co-host the international symposium “’Afghanistan Reconnected’: Renewed Opportunities Under China’s Belt and Road Initiative” in collaboration with the Embassy of Afghanistan to China, Kabul University and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) from June 15-16, 2017. 

The symposium will focus on ways to unlock both Afghanistan’s and the region’s economic potential during a time of transition, and on fresh opportunities provided by China’s Belt and Road Initiative. In light of a declining security situation, these discussions will be a timely reminder of the importance of stabilizing Afghanistan and utilizing its strategic location as a pivot towards greater economic cooperation. Senior political and business leaders from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, and Pakistan will work in multiple panels towards producing a set of feasible recommendations concerning trade & transit, investment & infrastructure, energy, and regional dynamics. 

The opening event will offer keynote addresses from EWI’s CEO Amb. Cameron Munter; Mr. Mou Xiongbing, Director of International Economic Cooperation Office, Academy of Macroeconomic Research, National Development and Reform Commission; and Ambassador of Afghanistan to China, H.E. Mr. Janan Mosazai.

The Beijing symposium is set to be the final stage of EWI’s multi-year “Afghanistan Reconnected Process.” Sponsored by the government of Germany and private donors, the Process addresses regional economic security issues in Afghanistan and its neighborhood. The focus is promoting the win-win potential of enhanced regional economic and political cooperation in order to not only foster development but also security and stability in Afghanistan and greater Central Asia. EWI established a network of senior experts from governments, parliaments, and the private sector, mainly from Afghanistan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, China, the U.A.E., the U.S., and Europe, as well as from multiple regional and international organizations. Through a series of high-level consultations, this network identified major obstacles to regional trade and transit. A set of practical recommendations on how to overcome these obstacles have been presented to the governments of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Iran.