Annual International Conference (Hybrid Format): The 8th Forum “Middle East in Quest for Security, Stability, and Economic Identity”

We organize this event with the aim to tackle relevant topics and issues regarding the Middle Eastern/Western Asia region, by opening an intellectual and public debate and raising public awareness. While acknowledging the complexity revolving around the Middle East’s political, economic, and international relations dynamics, we aim at navigating it by bringing together key stakeholders, policymakers, diplomats, and scholars in a dialogical setting.

In light of a changing international order, with China and Russia emerging as mighty challengers to the previously dominant power of the US and its European allies, the Middle East has to define or redefine its security, stability, and economic identity and agenda. Older and new regional challenges pervade the socio-political and economic life of the region, and urge the regional actors, in concert with extra-regional ones to react in a pragmatic manner. Food security, sustainable transition, rising world oil and gas demand, and pervasive religion-motivated violence are just some of the most pressing issues that the region is currently facing.  In addressing them, the forum is intended to represent an interactive review of the place that the Middle East occupies in the international architecture of power and relations.

AGENDA

08:30 – 09:30 Registration and Welcome Coffee

09:30 – 09:40 Official Opening

– Mr. Flavius CABA-MARIA, President of MEPEI, Romania

– Dr. Liviu MUREŞAN, President, EuroDefense Romania

09.40 – 10:20 Keynote Speeches

– HE Dr. Muhammad Hassan Shaykh al-ISLAMI, President of Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, MoFA, the Islamic Republic of Iran – online

– Prof. Adrian SEVERIN, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania

– Prof. Teodor MELEȘCANU, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania

10:20 – 11:30 Session I: Regional context: smart soft and hard power – security strategies for the Middle East and North Africa region

Sub-topics: Contextual assessment of developments in the region; The main developments – from Afghanistan lessons to the current crises; The status of the current international security environment; The evaluation of Iran-Saudi Arabia relations; New ways, new bridges into the region; The principles of Collective Security System.

Moderator: Ms. Lily ONG, Ph.D. Candidate at the Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO University), Singapore

Panelists:

• Prof. Kayhan BARZEGAR, Senior Academic Advisor at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Professor at the Islamic Azad University / Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Maj. Gen. Adel Mohamed Hassan ELDEIB, Director, the Strategic Studies Centre, Nasser High Military Academy, the Arab Republic of Egypt
• Dr. Nicola PEDDE, Director of IGS, Institute for Global Studies and the Research Director for the Middle East at the Military Centre for Strategic Studies, Ministry of Defense, Rome, Italy
• Dr. Amina KHAN, Director Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East & Africa, the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI), Islamabad, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• Dr. Basam ABOABDOLAH, Professor of International Relations and Director of the Central School of the Ba’ath Party, the Syrian Arab Republic – On-line
• Prof. Zaker Hussain ERSHAD, Avicenna University, Kabul, Afghanistan

11:30 – 12:00 Coffee Break

12:00 – 13:00 Session II: Global context: power politics and the current conflict implications on the Middle East and North Africa region

Sub-topics: The impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the Middle East region; Great Powers Competition in the New Middle East; Timeframe for reconstructing the trust; New World Order or New World Disorder; Setting priorities for reconstruction; The JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) status.

Moderator: Ms. Lily ONG, Ph.D. Candidate at the Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO University), Singapore

Panelists:

• Ambassador Bilahari KAUSIKAN, Chairman of the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore; Former Permanent Secretary at Singapore MFA; Former Singaporean Ambassador to Russia; Former Singaporean Ambassador to UN, Singapore – on-line
• Prof. Davood KIANI, Professor in International Relations, the Islamic Azad University, Vice President at the Institute of Iran and Eurasia Studies (IRAS), the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Dr. Vasily KUZNETSOV, Head of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Head of the Department of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Oriental Faculty of the State Academic University for the Humanities, the Russian Federation – online
• Dr. Qin TIAN, Assistant Director of Institute of Middle East Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), the People’s Republic of China – online
• Prof. Foad IZADI, Professor in International Relations, the University of Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran

13:00 – 14:00 Session III: Regional integration of the Middle East and North Africa region

Sub-topics: Is it possible to set up a regional institution in the MENA region similar to EU/ASEAN, etc.?; Are the current structures/institutions/organizations adequate to the needs of the MENA region?; The assessment of the Gulf Cooperation Council format (strengths and weaknesses); Multilateralism versus bilateralism – cooperation in the development of political, security, and economic relations.

Moderator: Prof. Florin PĂSĂTOIU, Co-Founder and Director of the Center for Foreign Policy and Security Studies (CFPSS), Romania

Panelists:

• HE Dr. Ali Beman Eghbali ZARCH, Director of Eurasia Study Group, Institute for Political and International Studies, the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Prof. Erzsebet N. ROZSA, Advisor, Institute of World Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies and Professor, University of Public Service, Budapest, Hungary
• Dr. Gohar ISKANDARYAN, Head of Department of Iranian Studies and Leading Researcher, Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences, and Associate Professor at the Chair of Iranian Studies, Department of Oriental Studies, Yerevan State University, the Republic of Armenia
• Dr. Abdul Halim FADLALLAH, Chairman, the Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation, Beirut, the Lebanese Republic
• Prof. Ecaterina MAȚOI, Program Director at MEPEI, Lecturer at the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Department of Basel University, Switzerland
• Prof. Șerban KARDAȘ, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara ,Türkiye– online

14:00 – 15:00 Lunch offered by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania

15:00 – 16:20 Session IV: Asia’s Century Project and understanding of the Middle East’s potential

Sub-topics: the Asianization process of MENA countries; New challenges for EU positions in the MENA region; EU – ASEAN completion in the MENA region; the perspective of BRICS +.

Moderator: Dr. Liviu MUREŞAN, President, EuroDefense Romania

Panelists:

• Ambassador, Lt. Gen. (Ret), Cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin PRUNARIU, Chair of the Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities
• Dr. YAO JINXIANG, Assistant Research Fellow, Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Republic of China – online
• HE Dr. Khalil SHIRGHOLAMI, Deputy Director General for Research, Institute for Political and International Studies, the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Dr. Pierre FOURNIÉ, Expert on Asia Affairs, Chair Suffren International Company, and member of think-tanks CIWORLWIDE, the Académie De L’intelligence Économique and Codata France the Republic of France
• Dr. Li ZIXIN, Assistant Research Fellow, Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Republic of China – online
• Prof. Emerita Mariana NICOLAE, Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), Romania

16:20 – 17:30 Session V: MENA countries – economic and environmental perspectives

Sub-topics: What economic integration challenges are facing MENA countries?; The efficiency of the economic sanctions; Alternatives energy (gas and oil) resources for outside markets of the MENA regions; Food security; Threats and opportunities in the global financial system; US dollar versus the de-dollarization.

Moderator: Mr. Flavius CABA-MARIA, President of MEPEI, Romania

Panelists:

• Prof. Pouria ASKARY, Associate Professor of International Law, Allameh Tabatabaei University, the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Prof. Rania ALZRAIR, Vice President of Administrative and Student Affairs and Dean of Faculty of Administrative Sciences, AL-Sham Private University, the Syrian Arab Republic
• Prof. Laura SAYAH, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, Beirut, the Republic of Lebanon – on-line/TBC on-site
• Prof. Mohsen ABDOLLAHI, Expert on International and Environmental Law, Shahid Beheshti University, the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Prof. Marius NEACȘU, Chief of Department, Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), Romania – TBC

17:30 – 17:50 Coffee Break

17:50 – 18:50 Session VI: Future settlement of disputes in the MENA region: the voice of the young generation

Sub-topics: The track II diplomacy in the Middle East; The impact of proposed peace plans for the MENA region; Political solutions for addressing other long-lasting conflicts in the Middle East; A more prominent role of the youth in politics in the MENA region; Traditional political parties vs Internet activism in MENA; Means for cooperation EU-MENA, at the grassroots level; The clash of endogenous vs exogenous cultural values and principles.

Moderator: Dr. Alexandru GEORGESCU, Secretary-General, EuroDefense Romania

Panelists:

• Mr. Mahdi RAHIMI, Executive Director Assistant, Iranian Association of Diplomacy, the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Ms. Lăcrămioara IVAZ, Lund University, Sweden/Romania
• Mr. Kais KAFRI, Member of the Scientific Research Council, Al-Sham Private University, National Union of Syrian Students, the Syrian Arab Republic
• Ms. Shanzay WASEEM, Princeton University, USA/the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• Mr. Vlad ADAMESCU, King’s College London, the United Kingdom/Romania
• Ms. Isabella ZAIDAN, Member of the Scientific Research Council, Al-Sham Private University, National Union of Syrian Students, the Syrian Arab Republic

18:50 Conclusion and Final Remarks

– Mr. Flavius CABA-MARIA, President of MEPEI, Romania

– Dr. Liviu MUREŞAN, President, EuroDefense Romania

Conference Rapporteurs:

– Dr. Alexandru GEORGESCU, Secretary-General, EuroDefense Romania

– Mr. Iulian MARES, Strategic Analyst, MEPEI, Romania

1. The Islamic Republic of Iran
2. HE Dr. Muhammad Hassan Shaykh al-ISLAMI, President of Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, MoFA, the Islamic Republic of Iran – TBC / HE Dr. Seyed Mohammad-Kazem SAJJADPOUR, Former President of Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Islamic Republic of Iran – TBC on-site/on-line;
3. Prof. Kayhan BARZEGAR, Senior Academic Advisor at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Professor at the Islamic Azad University / Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran;
4. Prof. Davood KIANI, Expert on International Relations and Russia – Iran Relations, the Islamic Azad University, Vice President at the Institute of Iran and Eurasia Studies (IRAS), the Islamic Republic of Iran;
5. HE Dr. Khalil SHIRGHOLAMI, Deputy Director General for Research, Institute for Political and International Studies, the Islamic Republic of Iran;
6. HE Dr. Ali Beman Eghbali ZARCH, Director of Eurasia Study Group, Institute for Political and International Studies, the Islamic Republic of Iran;
7. Prof. Mohsen ABDOLLAHI, Expert on International and Environmental Law, Shahid Beheshti University, the Islamic Republic of Iran;
8. Prof. Foad IZADI, Professor in International Relations, the University of Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran;
9. Prof. Pouria ASKARY, Associate Professor of International Law, Allameh Tabatabaei University, the Islamic Republic of Iran;
10. Mr. Hamid CHOPANI, Researcher, Institute for Political and International Studies, the Islamic Republic of Iran;
11. Mr. Mahdi RAHIMI, Executive Director Assistant, Iranian Association of Diplomacy (youth generation).

From the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania

– HE Dr. Seyed Hossein Sadat MEIDANI, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania

International

1. HE Dr. 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 – TBC;
2. Prof. Erzsebet N. ROZSA, Advisor, Institute of World Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies and Professor, University of Public Service, Budapest, Hungary;
3. Maj. Gen. Adel Mohamed Hassan ELDEIB, Director, the Strategic Studies Center, Nasser High Military Academy, the Arab Republic of Egypt;
4. Prof. Anis H. BAJREKTAREVIC, International Institute for the Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES), IFIMES Permanent Representation to Austria and Vienna-based IOs – TBC-online;
5. Dr. Nicola PEDDE, Director of IGS, Institute for Global Studies and the Research Director for the Middle East at the Military Centre for Strategic Studies, Ministry of Defense, Rome, Italy;
6. Ambassador Bilahari KAUSIKAN, Chairman of the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore; Former Permanent Secretary at Singapore MFA; Former Singaporean Ambassador to Russia; Former Singaporean Ambassador to UN, Singapore – on-line;
7. Lily ONG (moderator), Ph.D. Candidate at the Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO University), Singapore;
8. Prof. Laura SAYAH, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, Beirut, the Republic of Lebanon – TBC on-site;
9. Dr.Abdul Halim FADLALLAH, Chairman, the Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation, Beirut, the Lebanese Republic;
10. Dr. Basam ABOABDOLAH, Professor of International Relations and Director of the Central School of the Ba’ath Party, the Syrian Arab Republic – On-line;
11. Prof. Rania ALZRAIR, Vice President of Administrative and Student Affairs and Dean of Faculty of Administrative Sciences, AL-Sham Private University, the Syrian Arab Republic;
12. Dr. Amina KHAN, Director Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East & Africa, the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI), Islamabad, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan;
13. Dr. Vasily KUZNETSOV, Head of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Head of the Department of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Oriental Faculty of the State Academic University for the Humanities, the Russian Federation – online;
14. Dr. Qin TIAN, Assistant Director of Institute of Middle East Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), the People’s Republic of China – online;
15. Dr. YAO JINXIANG, Assistant Research Fellow, Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Republic of China – online;
16. Dr. Li ZIXIN, Assistant Research Fellow, Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Republic of China – online;
17. Dr. Robert MOGIELNICKI, Senior Resident Scholar, The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW), USA – online;
18. Prof. Șaban KARDAS, Associate Prof. Department of Political Science and International Relations, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, the Republic of Türkiye – online;
19. Prof. Zaker Hussain ERSHAD, Avicenna University, Kabul, Afghanistan;
20. Prof. Mehmet YUVA, President Turkish-Arabic Friendship Movement, Historian US-Middle East-Cyprus, the Republic of Türkiye;
21. Dr. Gohar ISKANDARYAN, Head of Department of Iranian Studies and Leading Researcher, Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences, and Associate Professor at the Chair of Iranian Studies, Department of Oriental Studies, Yerevan State University, the Republic of Armenia;
22. Dr. Pierre FOURNIÉ, Expert on Asia Affairs, Chair Suffren International Company, and member of think-tanks CIWORLWIDE, the Académie De L’intelligence Économique and Codata France the Republic of France.

Youth generation

– Ms. Shanzay WASEEM, Princeton University, USA, originally from Pakistan;

– Ms. Muskan EFFENDI, Princeton University, USA, originally from Pakistan;

– Mr. Kais KAFRI, Member of the Scientific Research Council, Al-Sham Private University, National Union of Syrian Students, the Syrian Arab Republic;

– Ms. Isabella ZAIDAN, Member of the Scientific Research Council, Al-Sham Private University, National Union of Syrian Students, the Syrian Arab Republic

Romania

1. Prof. Adrian SEVERIN, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania;
2. Prof. Teodor MELEȘCANU, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania;
3. Ambassador, Lt. Gen. (Ret), Cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin PRUNARIU, Chair of the Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities;
4. 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 – TBC;
5. Mr. Flavius CABA-MARIA, President of MEPEI, Bucharest, Romania;
6. Dr. Liviu MUREŞAN, President, EuroDefense Romania;
7. Prof. Ecaterina MAȚOI, Program Director at MEPEI, Lecturer at the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Department of Basel University, Switzerland;
8. Prof. Silviu NATE, Director of the Global Studies Center, “Lucian Blaga” University, Sibiu;
9. Prof. Emerita Mariana NICOLAE, Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), Romania;
10. Dr. Mihai Sebastian CHIHAIA, Policy Analyst, The European Policy Centre, Brussels, Belgium – TBC;
11. Prof. Radu MUȘETESCU, Director of International Economic Relations at MEPEI, and Director of the Department for International Economic Relations, University of Economic Studies (ASE), Bucharest, Romania;
12. Dr. Alexandru GEORGESCU, Secretary-General, EuroDefense Romania;
13. Prof. Marius NEACȘU, Chief of Department, Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), Romania – TBC;
14. Mr. Iulian MAREȘ, Strategic Analyst, MEPEI, Bucharest, Romania;
15. Ms. Lăcrămioara IVAZ, Lund University, Sweden/Romania (Youth Generation);
16. Mr. Vlad ADAMESCU, King’s College London, the United Kingdom/Romania (Youth Generation).

• Modern Diplomacy (https://moderndiplomacy.eu/);
• Financial Intelligence (https://financialintelligence.ro/);
• Novus Ordo Media (https://novusordomedia.ro/).

Partners:

• AIES (Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy), Vienna, Austria;
• IPIS (Institute for Political and International Studies IPIS/MoFA, Iran);
• IFIMES (International Institute for the Middle East and Balkan Studies);
• Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania.

Marshal Garden Hotel, 5^th Floor – Panoramic 1 Conference Hall, Calea Dorobanților 50B, Bucharest, Romania

Registration at: office@mepei.com