The President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) Vuk Jeremić participated in the Koerber Foundation’s traditional Bergedorf Roundtable conference in Berlin.
The main theme of this year’s conference was “Europe at the Crossroads: Challenges and Chances of the Refugee Crisis.” Its concluding keynote panel, devoted to the future of Europe, carried the name “Vision 2025,” and featured introductory remarks by Mr. Jeremić.
Jeremić noted that at a time in which the Middle East and North Africa find themselves in flux, the European Union simply cannot afford the luxury of looking inward and dealing strictly with internal problems. He further warned that such an approach might only exacerbate the Old Continent’s security risks and lead to its increasing marginalization.
CIRSD President indicated support for Europe’s common foreign and security policy, and emphasized the need for the EU to be more assertive in key global initiatives such as the New Silk Road.
“If the EU stays on the margin of efforts to end the conflict and establish a political process in Syria, it will continue to face mounting pressure caused by radical groups and refugee flows. Key diplomatic initiatives on the Middle East and North Africa should come from Europe,” Jeremić concluded.
This year’s Bergedorf Rountable gathered eminent German and European figures including the President of the EU Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Elmar Brok, Germany’s former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Oxford University professor Timothy Garton Ash, Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum, as well as many others. The event also featured high-level officials of the European Foreign Service, the UK Foreign Office, as well as German and French Foreign Ministry.
Accompanying CIRSD President was Program Director Nikola Jovanović.
