Missile Defense, Russia and the Middle East
Invitation to PRIF (HSFK)/FES Third Berlin Conference on June 24-25
registration: www.hsfk.de/abm.
Dr. HANS BLIX,
Former Director General of the IAEA, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Kingdom of Sweden to Deliver Keynote Speech
Missile Defense (MD) has returned as one of the key issues in international security politics with the US plans to deploy MD facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic. Unlike widely perceived in the public debate, however, missile defense goes beyond the triangular relationship of the USA, Europe and Russia. In fact, it also touches upon core security interests of states in the conflict region of the Middle East/Gulf. This is why we would like to invite you to the Third Transatlantic Conference on the Middle East/Gulf on
“Missile Defense, Russia and the Middle East: Coping with Transatlantic Divergence - Exploring Common Solutions”
June 24-25, 2008
Vertretung des Landes Hessen beim Bund
In den Ministergärten 5
10117 Berlin
This conference generously sponsored by the German government is organized by the Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (HSFK)/Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), and for the first time, in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. At this international gathering international experts and scholars seek to answer urgent questions regarding this multifaceted debate such as:
*Are the planned MD programs of the United States as well as of NATO a necessary and feasible answer to Iran’s undisputed missile activities?
*What are the consequences of the proposed MD installations in Poland and the Czech Republic for international stability, arms control and the East-West
relationship?
*Are Israel’s new missile defense programs a reliable protection against the attacks of sub-state actors Hamas and Hezbollah with short-range rockets?
*The experts will also explore common strategies to counter the proliferation of missiles and weapons of mass destruction as well as political and arms control options as alternatives to missile defense.
Like previous PRIF events, this conference is designed to discuss the issues at hand in a pro and con dialogue style with leading experts from Europe, the United States, the Middle East/Gulf and Asia. All conflicting positions arerepresented equally. The importance and timeliness of this conference is underscored by a major conference on Palestinian Security hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office on a government-level in Berlin at the same time. Thus the German democratic system shows its flexibility by hosting two complementary international gatherings. While the public can expect concrete results from the closed government meeting, our public conference aims at providing the broad framework, reliable background information as well as thorough analyses and differentiated perspectives. What is more, the PRIF/FES conference is exclusive by being nclusive - its premise is the belief in the “power of the dialogue and of the argument.” Thus, representatives from all states are most welcome.
As far as the agenda and the administrative issues are concerned, please mind that due to the turbulent developments in the Middle East, there may be slight changes in the conference program. We are in close contact with the German Federal Foreign Office regarding additional prominent representatives on the government-level especially from the conflict region. Please find the latest conference program and the registration form which also specifies the registration fees and important information on the venue at http://www.hsfk.de/index.php?id=131. If you wish to attend, please send the filled-in registration form via e-mail to register (available after June 4, 2008) or via fax to +49-(0)69-55 84 81.
We look forward to welcoming you at our conference in Berlin which will be exclusively conducted in the English language.
Privatdozent Dr. Bernd W. Kubbig
Projektleiter/Project Director
Raketenabwehrforschung International
Ballistic Missile Defense Research International
Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und Konfliktforschung
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
Leimenrode 29 - D-60322 Frankfurt am Main
Phone +49 (0) 69 95 91 04-36
Fax +49 (0) 69 55 84 81
eMail kubbig@hsfk.de
URL http://www.hsfk.de/abm
