“Evolutions in Fighting Terrorism and the New Challenges of the Middle East” is an event organized by the Bucharest-based think-tank MEPEI (Middle East Political and Economic Institute), the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania, the EURISC Foundation and the Titulescu European Foundation.

We organize this event with a view to address salient international issues. The Middle East has never been a simple place, being a particular region in international geopolitics characterized by the complexity of the security milieu and strategic energy resources. The threat landscape has changed quite significantly over the last few years with the emergence of ISIL/Daesh and the particular set of innovations that it brought to the terrorist phenomenon, posing more challenges than ever in an already tumultuous setting.

As the threats have become prevalent, given the current transnational context, the purpose of this conference is to promote an approach that highlights commitment to the fight against all forms of violence, including terrorism. We should focus on four main pillars: prevent, protect, pursue and respond. A sound analysis enables us to formulate responses to the emerging threats and challenges. Moreover, a complete strategy recognizes the importance of cooperation with third countries and international institutions. The international conference will look for solutions that can be universally applied and will provide us with the expertise of government representatives, renowned analysts and members of the civil society from different countries.

The event is supported by Tubman Company and Victor Bălăşoiu Law House, Romania, in partnership with the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS/MoFA, Iran), the Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies (Tehran, Iran) and the Chamber of Commercial Diplomacy with Iran (Bucharest).

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

Draft Agenda

08:30 – 09:30 Registration and Welcome Coffee

09:30 – 09:50 Official Opening Session

09:50 – 11:30 Session I: Overview on Security and Stability in the MENA

11:30 – 12:00 Coffee Break

12:00 – 13:15 Session II: Agenda of Evolutions in Fighting Terrorism

13:15 – 14:30 Lunch on the Conference Place

14:30 – 15:45 Session III: Perspectives of the Astana and Geneva talks in relation to the Situation in Syria

15:45 – 17:00 Session IV: Cultural Diplomacy – Tolerance and Confrontation (Religion versus Violence)

17:00 – 17:30 Coffee Break

17:30 – 18:40 Session V: Energy Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection

18:40 – 19:00 Conclusion and Final Remarks

Speakers

1. A.    The Islamic Republic of Iran

1. HE Dr. Mohammad IRANI, Director General for the Middle East and North Africa, MoFA;
2. HE Dr. Mostafa ZAHRANI, Adviser of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and former Director-General of IPIS, MoFA;
3. Mr. Hossein GHARIBI, Ph.D., Senior Expert on Counter-Terrorism, MoFA;
4. Mr. Majid QAFELEBASHI, Ph.D., the Head of the Department of Energy Group in IPIS;
5. 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;
6. Prof. Nasser HADIAN, political science expert, the University of Tehran;
7. Prof. Gholamali CHEGNIZADEH, International and Regional Security expert, Dean of Law and Political Science at the Allameh Tabatabai University, former Head Director of Strategic Studies at IPIS;
8. Mr. Kazemi Yazdi SEYED MAHDI, Clergy, Qom;
9. Mr. Vali KALEJI, Ph.D., Center for Strategic Research, expert on Eurasia – TBC.

1. International

1. Colonel (r) Alain CORVEZ, Ph.D., Military Analyst, the French Republic;
2. Imam Mohamed SUAIB BOOLEY, Imam Jumu’ah based in Cape Town, the Republic of South Africa;
3. HE Prof. Ibrahim Agboola GAMBARI, former minister of Foreign Affairs, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (USG) for the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), the Special Adviser on the International Compact with Iraq and Other Issues for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Chairman of Center for Democracy and Development, The Federal Republic of Nigeria – TBC;
4. Mrs. Badra GAALOUL, President, International Centre for Strategic, Security and Military Studies, the Tunisian Republic;
5. Mr. Abdolhalim FADLOLLAH, Ph.D., Chairman, the Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation, Beirut, the Lebanese Republic;
6.  Mr. Basam ABOABDOLAH, Ph.D., Head of the Center for Strategic Studies and Adviser to the Syrian Information Minister, the Syrian Arab Republic;
7. Mr. Leonid GUSEV, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow of the Analytical Center of Institute of International Studies of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) of MoFA, Moscow, the Russian Federation;
8. Mr. Igor SELEZNIOV, Associate Professor, Senior Research Fellow in Institute of Socio-Political Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISPR), Department of Research Methodology of Socio-political processes of Eurasian integration, Moscow, the Russian Federation;
9. HE Mr. James MORAN, Ph.D., Principal Adviser, Middle East and North Africa, EU European External Action Service, Brussels / The Kingdom of Great Britain – TBC;
10. Representative of Atlantic Treaty Association / NATO – Brussels – TBC.

1. Romania

1. HE Prof. Emil CONSTANTINESCU, former Romanian President, President of the Institute for Advanced Studies for Culture and Civilization of the Levant – TBC;
2. HE Prof. Adrian NĂSTASE, former Prime Minister of Romania, President of Titulescu European Foundation;
3. Mr. Virgil POPESCU, Ph.D., deputy, the head of the Romania – Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group (speaker on the Opening Session);
4. Dr. Liviu MUREŞAN, Executive President of the EURISC Foundation, Bucharest, Romania;
5. Mr. Murat YUSUF, the Mufti of the Muslim Community in Romania;
6. Mr. Flavius CABA-MARIA, Ph.D. Candidate, President of MEPEI, Bucharest, Romania;
7. Prof. Adrian POP, Professor in International Relations, The National University of Political Science and Public Administration (NUPSPA), Bucharest, Romania;
8. Mr. Florin LUCA, Secretary-General, Titulescu European Foundation;
9. Prof. Ecaterina MAȚOI, Lecturer at the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Department of Basel University, Switzerland and at the National Defense University of Romania;
10. 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;
11. Representative of the Romanian Orthodox Church – TBC.