While the EU and Europe more generally remains rightly focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the wider Middle East, Europe’s key neighbor in many ways, is currently witnessing regional adaptation to multipolarism and new forms of both cooperation and conflict, and has been most recently confronted by US-Israeli war on Iran with global repercussions.
With Cyprus – the EU member State geographically and historically closest to this region – currently holding the rotating Presidency of the EU Council, this FIIA seminar will focus on four interrelated questions: what are Cyprus’ presidency initiatives, and what are the EU’s current priorities and choices in terms of the region’s conflicts and cooperation frameworks? Further, how can we evaluate the region’s current transformation, key states’ strategies, as well as the divergent views regarding the Middle East’s place in the current global ‘disorder’. Since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, what are the reactions from key regional states? Is the Middle East region the Achilles’ heel or can it act as a springboard for EU foreign policy?
Programme:
Welcoming words:
Hiski Haukkala, Director, FIIA
Opening remarks:
Demetris Samuel, Ambassador of Cyprus
Speakers:
Leila Nicolas, Professor of International Affairs, Lebanese University
Zenonas Tziarras, Lecturer in the Department of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cyprus
Toni Alaranta, Senior Research Fellow, FIIA
Moderator:
Heidi Huuhtanen, Senior Research Fellow, FIIA
The event is organized in cooperation with the Embassy of Cyprus in Helsinki.
