On January 31-February 2, 2014 the capital of Bavaria hosted the 50th Munich Security Conference that attracted hundreds of members of global political and economic elites to discuss cybersecurity, the Syrian conflict, the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine as well as transatlantic relations.
On January 31-February 2, 2014 the capital of Bavaria hosted the 50th Munich Security Conference that attracted hundreds of members of global political and economic elites to discuss cybersecurity, the Syrian conflict, the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine as well as transatlantic relations.
The guest list included 20 heads of state and government, over 60 foreign and defense ministers, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, NATO Secretary General, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, leaders of major international organizations together with CEOs of major ICT, energy, transportations, defense sector and other transnational corporations. The German delegation included Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière. Welcome speech at the conference was made by German President Joachim Gauck. The event was attended by about 60 deputies of the Bundestag and covered by over 700 journalists from all over the world.
Founded in 1962 as a meeting of NATO defense ministers, the Munich Conference has grown into the most influential and representative global forum gathering politicians, diplomats, military men, businessmen, scientists and public figures from dozens of countries, including NATO and EU members and major states like Russia, China, Japan, India, etc. As a rule, the agenda incorporates acute international issues – counterterrorism, the UN and NATO reform, hotspot settlement, as well as regional and global security. The previous 49th session was devoted to Syria, Middle East, Iran’s nuclear program and the crisis in Mali.
The 50th Conference was attended by a large group of RIAC members, among them RIAC President Igor Ivanov and Director General Andrey Kortunov; Academician Vladimir Baranovsky, Deputy Director of RAS Institute of World Economy and International Relations; Dmitry Trenin, Director of Moscow Carnegie Center; Army General Vyacheslav Trubnikov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; Igor Yurgens, President of Russian Insurers' Union and Vice-President of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. RIAC presented the results of its partnership projects, among them – the report "Building Mutual Security in the Euro-Atlantic Region", and Task Force Position Paper "A Cooperative Greater Europe by 2030".
The Munich Conference was also addressed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, also a RIAC member.
