U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton , right, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta share a laugh as they are introduced to the Euro-Atlantic Security Community Initiative at the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich.

Germany's Role in Europe and the World: 

Radosław Sikorski , Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Poland, Warsaw; Robert B. Zoellick  President, The World Bank Group, Washington, D.C.; Frank-Walter Steinmeier  Member of the German Bundestag, Chairman of the SPD Parliamentary Group, former Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Berlin; Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies, Oxford University, Oxford; Thomas de Maizière, Federal Minister of Defence, Federal Republic of Germany, Berlin; Michael Naumann (Moderator) Editor-in-chief, Cicero, Berlin

Discussion:

• Everybody asks Germany to lead, but when it is leading everybody questions the style, and direction of its leadership. 
• Germany is a willing but reluctant leader-- they feel that they are measured differently from the others when they do lead and hesitate to be too strong to avoid direct confrontation with other EU leaders. 
• Germany is the biggest shareholder, but not the dominant one and he should not behave like that.
• Need to be open to the EU tools that we might need in the near future and not look at domestic concerns of individual member states.  The fiscal pact and austerity measures won`t be enough; the politics of reform is much more important, because we are facing a genuine European, not Greek, Spanish or Portuguese, but European economic crisis that goes to the limits of the Union’s survival. Further integration steps were also discussed.
• Germany is too big but also too small – it has to persuade others. The tradition in German Foreign Policy is to cultivate special relations with medium and small states in the EU; Germany needs to work upon a genuine European strategic culture. 
• Germany needs context and coalitions – community methods are an excellent way to embed the strategy.
• In Europe we prefer leadership without leaders: we prefer them to be ”multilateral” men without too many qualities.

America, Europe and the Rise of Asia:

Zhang Zhijun Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China, Beijing; John McCain Senator, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States of America, Washington, D.C.; Ng Eng Hen Minister for Defence, Republic of Singapore, Singapore; Kevin Rudd  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Australia, Canberra; Michel Barnier  Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, European Union; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, French Republic, Brussels; Henry A. Kissinger (Chairman) Former Secretary of State of the United States of America; Chairman Kissinger Associates Inc., New York

Discussion:

• Economic and security stability in Asia is everybody’s priority. 
• China is still a developing country, but once it becomes developed the bigger the stake it will have in preservation of peace and stability in the region. 
• Senator McCain stressed the importance of securing and spreading fundamental human rights claiming that the Arab spring will be coming to China. 
• According to Zhang Zhijun Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs China has its own conditions, and “the arrival of Arab spring to China is more than a fantasy.” “We live in a global village, but there is one fundamental principle, the mutual respect for sovereignty, territory integrity and non-interference in internal affairs of other states are very dear to China.”
• Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd pointed out vastly different realities between present-day China and China in 1976. China is on a trajectory and the international community needs to focus on how it shapes together the rules and values of the 21^st century global international order. 
• International regional organizations such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) or ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) are important tools of multinational cooperation. 
• The European Union via the G20 can provide monetary stability in the Asia Pacific region; establish mutual economic cooperation and the opening of markets. 

Cyber Security: Is offense better than Defence?: 

Michael V. Hayden Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency; former Director, National Security Agency, Washington, D.C.; Eugene Kaspersky Chairman and CEO, Kaspersky Lab, Moscow; Giampaolo Di Paola ; Minister of Defence, Italian Republic, Rome; Neelie Kroes  Vice-President of the European Commission;  Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, European Union, Brussels; Thomas Ilves (Chairman)  President, Republic of Estonia, Tallinn.

Discussion:

• We have not internalized how big this thing is. 
• Analogies between the Cyber space and the discovery of the southern hemisphere when everything had to be adjusted in the Old continent.
• The technology is hard. However it is not the most important and difficult aspect of it. The idea is more challenging.
• Cyber has to be considered as a domain such as land, air, sea, and space. One difference: this domain is not made by God.  
• Beware hackers, national states espionage, industrial espionage, activism, cyber war
• Cyber: a zone of conflict, which is also a zone of personal communication. 
• Decisions on the big idea have to be made precisely in terms of what governments will allow to be done in this new domain. 
• Problem of security vs. openness. 
• Vulnerability of developed country regarding Cyber threats. 

Energy, resource, and the Environment: New Security Parameters:

IIham Heydar oglu Aliyev President, Republic of Azerbaijan, Baku; Günther H. Oettinger Commissioner for Energy, European Union, Brussels; Michael Diekmann Chairman of the Board of Management, Allianz SE; Member of the Advisory Council, Munich Security Conference, Munich; Kumi Naidoo Executive Director, Greenpeace International, Amsterdam; Viktor Yanukovych President, Ukraine, Kiev; Carl Bildt (Moderator) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Sweden, Stockholm

Discussion:

• Global security is under threat from four factors: climate change, social exclusion, scarcity of resources, and proliferation.
• Have to shift the way how to tackle the problems - if there is a growing demand for energy, it is the first thing that needs to be solved in order to bring down the demand for limited resources.
• An energy strategy must start by substituting fossil energy resources for renewables, by saving energy and by strengthening energy efficiency.
• The EU energy market is not competitive and transparent, it is a dictatorship from Russia, and therefore the EU needs real and clear regulations. 
• The European Union is on the way to a Europeanized energy policy, but successful EU energy policy must be based upon a functioning internal energy market based upon competition and transparency.

The Financial Crisis and its Implications for International Security:

Mario Monti President of the Council of Ministers, Italian Republic, Rome; Josef Ackermann Chairman of the Management Board and the Group Executive Committee, Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt a.M.; Robert B. Zoellick President, The World Bank Group, Washington, D.C.; Peer Steinbrück Member of the German Bundestag, SPD Parliamentary Group; former Federal Minister of Finance, Berlin; George Soros Chairman, Soros Fund Management LLC and Open Society Foundations, New York; Nik Gowing (Moderator) Main Presenter, BBC World News, London.

Discussion:

• The discussion stressed the impact of the euro zone crisis on international security. 
• Current problem of governance and the negative impact of a multiplicity of economic actors with huge political impact. 
• The fear of a negative spiral, the lack of trust in government that would lead to economic nationalism, political nationalism and eventually the weakening of international partnership and collaboration was particularly highlighted.  
• Discussion about the leadership of Germany was raised. What is the weight of Germany in the transatlantic context?
• Euro crisis could possibly destroy the European Union because of the social crisis it already triggered within the open market society.  Evidence of a slow process of lack of trust and social resentment. 

Smart Defence, the EU, and the Future of the Transatlantic Alliance:

Claude-France Arnould Chief Executive, European Defence Agency, Brussels; Stéphane Abrial General, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO, Norfolk; Philip Hammond Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, London; Thomas Enders President and CEO, AIRBUS, Toulouse; Lindsey Graham Senator, Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, United States of America, Washington, D.C.; Nik Gowing (Moderator) Main Presenter, BBC World News, London.

Discussion:

• NATO is facing a pivotal moment in its history 
• The practical functioning of SMART defence was discussed
• The timeline
• Practical initiatives
• Multi-lateral cooperation building 
• Pooling and sharing policies
• Ownership of the capabilities 

Building a Euro-Atlantic Security Community:

Guido Westerwelle Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Germany, Berlin; Leon Panetta Secretary of Defence, United States of America, Washington, D.C.; Hillary R. Clinton Secretary of State, United States of America, Washington, D.C.; Anders Fogh Rasmussen  Secretary General, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Brussels; Bronisław Komorowski  President, Republic of Poland, Warsaw; Sergey V. Lavrov Minister of Foreign Affairs, Russian Federation, Moscow.

Discussion:

• NATO has become a symbol of peace, security and prosperity and its role is no less important than during the cold war. 
• Europe is the best partner of the USA in the security field.  The transatlantic community is more allied than ever; the level of cooperation is remarkable. 
• On Libya, Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria, America and Europe stand shoulder to shoulder. 
• Europe is a cornerstone of America's engagement with the world. The transatlantic community is indispensable for the world we will want to build in the century ahead.
• Need to build a secure, united and democratic Europe, which implies transforming strategic relations with Russia.
• The situation in the Balkans, Caucasus, and the Mediterranean shows that Europe remains, incomplete and insecure. 
• Security and prosperity are inseparable. More cooperation is required.  To create the security architecture that will sustain growth and prosperity. The USA and the EU should be trading more: promoting western economic values that fight against favouritism, barriers to trade behind border, theft of intellectual property, high taxes on foreign imports.

• Smart Defence: practical ways to provide security while minimizing cost: Partnership with non-NATO members. 
• Share values and promote them. To consolidate democratic games, in Kirgizstan, Burma, Côte d'Ivoire.  To send a clear signals to dictators. 
• To protect western values within the western community: independent justice, protection of democratic rights inside our boundaries, free press, clean and transparent elections. 
• To reach out empowering regions: to cooperate with new regions that play a greater role in global affairs. Robust dialogue in the pacific Asia region. 

Euro Atlantic Security Initiative (EASI):

Wolfgang Ischinger Ambassador, Chairman, Munich Security Conference, Munich; Igor S. Ivanov Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Russian Federation; Professor, Moscow State Institution for International Relations; Co-Chair of the EASI-Commission, Moscow;  Samuel A. Nunn Senator; Co-Chairman and CEO, Nuclear Threat Initiative; Co-Chair of the EASI-Commission, Washington, D.C.

Presentation of EASI: 

The Euro-Atlantic Security Initiative (EASI) is a high-level international commission whose unique goal is to lay the intellectual foundation for an inclusive Euro-Atlantic security system for the twenty-first century.

Discussion:

• The situation in the Middle East, the outcomes of the Arab spring and the future of the Transatlantic Alliance were discussed. The main concerns shared by the presenters were about the situation in Syria where Assad's regime enacts brutal repression against civilians. EASI' annual report will be published on Friday 10, 2012.
• Non-military issues are critical to our security, the fate of currencies is perceived as a major threat, as are cyber attacks, and natural disasters. Traditional topics but also new security challenges. Unprecedented degree of complexity.  
• Security has to be tackled as a whole, enhancing some security branches and letting others behind will make no progress. 
• The Euro-Atlantic zone is the bedrock of free values, free markets and individual freedom, the largest trading zones in the world. 
• The Euro-Atlantic region must avoid the mistakes of the past, by addressing worst-case scenarios.
• To begin a political process that will confront worst-case scenarios. 
• Cooperation on sensitive technology -- if our leader could find the political will to cooperate on missile defence it would create a positive signal for further cooperation. 

Building the New Middle East?

Tawakkul Karman Nobel Peace Laureate 2011; Chairwoman, Women Journalists Without Chains, Sana; Kenneth Roth Executive Director, Human Rights Watch, New York; Hamadi Jebali Prime Minister, Tunisian Republic, Tunis; Mohamed K. Amr Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arab Republic of Egypt, Cairo; Khalid Mohamed A. Al-Attiyah Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, State of Qatar, Doha; Ahmet Davutoğlu  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Turkey, Ankara; Joseph I. Lieberman  Senator, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, United States of America, Washington, D.C. ; Josef Joffe (Moderator) Publisher, Die Zeit, Hamburg. 

Discussion: 

• Condemn Assad's repression,
• Condemn Russian and Chinese veto against a UN resolution on Syria
• The situation in Yemen was discussed and the Saleh regime was heavily criticised for the killing of civilians. 
• Egypt was discussed and the role of the military in killing demonstrators. Avoiding a military coup d'état is a top priority
• Suspicions about the Muslim brotherhood were raised mention, and possible violations of human rights. 
• Particular attention should be given to the situation of NGO's in Egypt.
• Turkey, which is often described as a model Muslim country, but has not respected its obligations on human rights regarding the repression of the Kurdish minority.
• Gaza's situation was mentioned as the top humanitarian priority in the region.
• Social media gave people confidence through Facebook to feel empowered and to demonstrate. Similarly Twitter and YouTube facilitate the significant flow of information. 
• Fight corruption in the region
• The role of Turkey as a regional power was discussed: "we don't want a regional cold war" nor any kind of ethnic conflicts. 
• The reasons for non-intervention in Syria were assessed 
• The role of Islamic political movements in the democratic transition was discussed. 

PRESS MONITORING:

Munich Security Conference looks at global upheaval: http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15707202,00.html

Munich Security Conference: The Davos of Defence:

http://www.france24.com/en/20120203-munich-defence-syria-afghanistan-us-germany

Munich Security Conference Chairman: Decade of US Military Over-Expansion spending:

http://www.rttnews.com/1812393/munich-security-conference-chairman-decade-of-us-military-over-expansion-ending.aspx?type=msgn&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=sitemap

Global Security undergoes adjustments:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-02/06/content_14546802.htm

Arab, Turkish officials urge dialogue with Iran, increased pressure on Syria:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/yemeni-nobel-laureate-karman-russia-china-morally-responsible-for-syria-killings/2012/02/05/gIQAjaK7qQ_story.html

U.S. sees Europe as not pulling its Weight Militarily:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/world/europe/07iht-letter07.html

Cyber weapons growing concern in hyper connected world:

http://www.military.com/news/article/cyber-weapons-growing-concern-in-hyper-connected-world.html

On the margins of the conference, US Secretary of Defence Hillary Clinton engaged in diplomatic efforts to bend Moscow's position on Syria.  Hillary Clinton met the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Bulgaria in a series of meetings that aimed at gathering support from former Russian partners.

The authors are CEPI Research Assistants