Registration link:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1MddCIZrRwiYfZ6EdSvnhA

“Post-pandemic: A New Order or A New Chaos? The Middle East and North Africa Perspectives” is an event organized by the Bucharest-based think-tanks the Middle East Political and Economic Institute (MEPEI) and the EURISC Foundation, with the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies (IMESS), Tehran.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is undergoing significant transformations, both as a continuation of underlying long-term economic, social, and political trends, but also as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The regional governance architecture, encompassing security, economics, and crisis management is facing unprecedented challenges but also opportunities. The fluid situation is impacted by the mixed results of the presence of foreign powers pursuing strategic engagement, by the shocks in energy markets, and the uncertainty of worldwide consumption patterns. Russia is acting to preserve its favored regional balance and to ensure its access to the Mediterranean while pursuing energy coordination with key regional players. China is developing its Belt and Road Initiative to position itself as a player in regional rebuilding, harness opportunities but also to create new bridges towards Europe. The US is engaged to maintain influence, extricate itself from long-running commitments while assuring traditional allies of its continuing support. In the meantime, we are witnessing a fundamental change with the Abraham Accords, the new Persian Gulf security arrangements, and Türkiye’s unpredictable regional assertiveness. In this context, what are the prospects for regional stabilization and development? What will the future regional architectures look like, given unprecedented changes? And how can others contribute to a more resilient MENA region?

The webinar keynote speakers are experts from Algeria, Austria, China, Germany, Lebanon, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Palestine, Romania, Russia, Syria, Tunisia, Türkiye, and so on.

The webinar brings together diplomats, officials, academics, business leaders, politicians, as well as independent researchers, think-tank representatives, journalists, and other civil society representatives.

10:00 – 10:05 Opening remarks: Mr. Flavius CABA-MARIA, President, Middle East Political and Economic Institute, Bucharest, Romania

10:05 – 12:30 Session I. “The Evolving Security Cooperation and Crisis Management in the MENA Region. Great Powers Competition.”

The regional and global interdependencies lead to the propagation of risks, vulnerabilities, and threats, as exemplified by the recent pandemic. Countries cannot resolve the issue on their own, nor can they insulate themselves from regional frailties that prevent sustainable closure of issues and crises. Cooperation is key and is complicated by the outside actors whose help may be invaluable or whose pursuit of their interest may hinder the resolution of these issues. What are the impacts of the Great Powers’ involvement in the region? What are the topics of cooperation on which diverse actors with sometimes conflicting goals can agree?

Chair: Dr. Liviu MUREȘAN, Executive President, EURISC Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

Panelists:

Prof. Adrian SEVERIN, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania;

HE Dr. Mostafa ZAHRANI, Adviser of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Director-General of Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), the Islamic Republic of Iran;

HE Mr. Werner FASSLABEND, President, the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES), President EuroDefense Austria, and former Minister of Defense of Austria (1990-2000), Austria;

Dr. Basam ABOABDOLAH, Head of the Center for Strategic Studies and Adviser to the Syrian Information Minister, the Syrian Arab Republic;

Prof. Svyatoslav A. TIMASHEV, The Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia;

Dr. Qin TIAN, Assistant Director of Institute of Middle East Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), the People’s Republic of China;

Prof. Kayhan BARZEGAR, Director of the Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies, Tehran; Professor at the Islamic Azad University / Tehran, and Fellow Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, the Islamic Republic of Iran;

Dr. Germano DOTTORI, Scientific Advisor of Limes, Italian Review of Geopolitics, Italy;

Prof. El Mostafa REZRAZI, International Expert in Crisis Management and Violent Extremism, Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, President of the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence, Professor of Crisis Management at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, the Kingdom of Morocco;

Prof. Hassan AHMADIAN, University of Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran;

Dr. Corneliu PIVARIU, security and international relations senior expert, Romania;

Prof. Erzsébet N. RÓZSA, Professor, National University of Public Service and the Institute of World Economy, Hungary;

Dr. Saban KARDAS, Associate Prof. Department of Political Science and International Relations, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, the Republic of Türkiye.

12:30 – 12:40 Break

12:40 – 14:30 Session II. “The COVID-19 Pandemic: An uninvited Guest. MENA: Health Security and Financial Crises Challenges.”

The coronavirus pandemic has generated a significant global impact and has affected the MENA region both directly, through the health crisis and its local economic impact, and indirectly, through the impact on key trading partners. We have witnessed the stalling of cooperation initiatives such as Belt and Road Initiative projects, the reversal of growth prospects, and fiscal pressure at the very same moment when their resources are most strained. What are the prospects and how can this difficult moment be weathered with success? How is the regional financial system going to develop? Will we see the rise of the yuan and of alternative financial frameworks for trade and investment? And when will we see a new development model for the region to yearn it off hydrocarbons and to create inclusive growth for all of its population?

Chairs:

Prof. Kayhan BARZEGAR, Director of the Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies, Tehran; Professor at the Islamic Azad University / Tehran, and Fellow Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Iran;

Mr. Iulian MAREȘ, Strategic Analyst, MEPEI, Bucharest, Romania.

Panelists:

General Dr. Florin PAUL, epidemiologist, former head of medical branch UNAVEM III, Iraqi Freedom Mission, AMISOM, UNIFIL, EUCAP-Niger, Romania;

Dr. Alibeman Eghbali ZARCH, Senior Expert, Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), the Islamic Republic of Iran;

Prof. Radu MUȘETESCU, Director of International Economic Relations at MEPEI, and Director of the Department of International Business and Economics, University of Economic Studies (ASE), Romania;

Dr. YAO JINXIANG, Assistant Research Fellow, Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International, the People’s Republic of China;

Prof. Amir Cyrus RAZZAGHI, International Economic Affairs, CEO Ara Enterprise, the Islamic Republic of Iran;

Mrs. Yeşim TIRPAN, Leiden University, Holland / Türkiye;

Mr. Victor CIONGA, financial analyst, Romania;

Dr. Marcela GANEA, Bucharest, Romania;

Dr. Alexandru GEORGESCU, Strategic Analyst, EURISC Foundation, Romania.

14:30 – 14:40 Break

14:40 – 17:30 Session III. “The Unpredictable International Security Environment: Unprecedented Challenges and Opportunities for a Regional Security Architecture. Resilience and Reconstruction of the MENA region.”

The region must commence the rebuilding of key areas and the establishment of a security architecture that may generate the premises for long-term stability and growth in the face of both new and persistent challenges. In the space of ten years, we have had crises that underline the economic, social, political, and health vulnerabilities of the region and their potential to spread. We need to ensure resilience in the face of an unpredictable security environment and develop the tools and partnerships that will ensure future safety, security, and prosperity. Who are the new actors and what are the new developments to look towards in 2021? What are the opportunities for regional security cooperation agreements to combat the various crises? And what are the perspectives and externalities of the BRI and the other regional connectivity projects?

Chairs:

Mr. Flavius CABA-MARIA, President, Middle East Political and Economic Institute, Bucharest, Romania

Dr. Liviu MUREȘAN, Executive President, EURISC Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

Panelists:

HE Mr. Viorel ISTICIOAIA-BUDURA, Former Ambassador of Romania to the People’s Republic of China, Former Head of the European Union delegation to Japan, Managing Director, Head of Asia and Pacific Department, European External Action Service, Romania;

Gen. Abdelaziz MEDJAHED, director-general, the National Institute of Strategic Global Studies (NISGS), the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria; – TBC

Ralph D. THIELE, Chairman, The Institute for strategic, political, security and economic consultancy, President EuroDefense Germany, and CEO StratByrd Consulting, Germany;

Prof. Nasser HADIAN, Professor of Political Science, the University of Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran;

Dr. Wael Al-BATTREKHI, Minister Counsellor, Deputy Chief of the Mission, Embassy of the State of Palestine to Romania;

Dr. Aleksey KHLEBNIKOV, Expert, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Moscow, the Russian Federation;

Mr. Li ZIXIN, Assistant Research Fellow, Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International, the People’s Republic of China;

Prof. Davood KIANI, the Islamic Azad University, Vice President at the Institute of Iran and Eurasia Studies (IRAS), the Islamic Republic of Iran;

Mr. Emiliano STORNELLI, Charmain and Founder, the Religion and Security Council, Rome, Italy;

Dr. Abdul Halim FADLALLAH, Chairman, the Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation, the Lebanese Republic;

Dr. Sami Ben JANNET, Director-General, the Institut Tunisien des Etudes Strategiques, Presidence de la Republique, Tunis, the Republic of Tunisia; – TBC

Prof. Ecaterina MAȚOI, Program Director at MEPEI, Lecturer at the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Department of Basel University, Switzerland and at the National Defense University of Romania, Romania;

Dr. NIKHAH, an expert on North-Africa issues, MFA, the Islamic Republic of Iran;

Dr. Ghazi Ben AHMED, Chairman of the Board, the Mediterranean Development Initiative; Senior Expert International Economics, the Republic of Tunisia;

Mr. Andrin Jerome Nevis RAJ, Director, the Nordic Counter-Terrorism Network, Helsinki, Finland; the Southeast Asia Regional Director, the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals – Center for Security Studies, Kuala LUMPUR, Malaysia.