30/08/2024 Updated 13 hours ago|Source: ČT24, Seznam Zpravy
Events: Pavel opened the Globsec conference. Dozens of top politicians arrived (source: ČT24)
The 19th edition of the Globsec international security conference began in Prague. The opening speech was delivered by Czech President Petr Pavel. He called for further support for Ukraine, saying that there is still room for greater effectiveness in helping the attacked country, strengthening anti-Russian sanctions and weakening the ability of Russian industry to support the war. The President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, also spoke, stating that Europe must have the means to defend itself and deter all adversaries. The three-day event will be attended by approximately ten prime ministers and presidents or twenty ministers of defense and foreign affairs not only from Europe, but also from the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Petr Pavel was the first to address the conference participants. A long-term conflict with an uncertain outcome is taking place in Ukraine. But time can work in favor of Ukraine and its supporters if they unite and learn from the previous two and a half years, Pavel said. At this point, Russia still believes it has no reason to change its approach. In order to achieve peace, it is necessary to ensure sufficient and predictable support for Ukraine, the president believes.
According to Pavel, it is necessary to strengthen the material capacities in order to be able to provide all the necessary resources to the attacked country. According to him, there is still room for greater efficiency. “We live in an increasingly conflicted world. Nevertheless, I still firmly believe that an international order based on rules and cooperation is beneficial not only to the West, but to all members of the international community,” the president said. Post-World War II rules and institutions may sometimes require reform, but fragmentation weakens all, he remarked.
Opening of the GLOBSEC conference (source: ČT24)
“Open conflict is a disastrous path for everyone. It also applies to Russia, which is certainly weaker and more fragile today than before 2022,” the head of state said. The president also mentioned the role of China, which, according to him, is in the strongest position to help end Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Pavel: Europe is troubled by low self-sufficiency in raw materials
According to Pavel, Europe faces structural economic challenges, low self-sufficiency in raw materials, medicines and semiconductors hinders its economic development. Although Europe remains a leader in many areas, it falls behind the United States, some Asian countries and India in a number of technological sectors. “It is time to realize that our technological competence and development strongly shapes our geopolitical relevance and the security of our citizens,” said Pavel.
He praised the establishment of the new GeoTech center, which, according to the president, will connect political and technological leaders to discussions about joint responsibility in protecting democracies and prosperity. “There is no doubt that we need more cooperation not only between governments and business, but also between the European Union and the United States. But I would rather say between Europe, the US and democratic countries around the world,” he added.
Von der Leyen wants to appoint a defense commissioner
The speech of the President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, mainly concerned the topic of European security. He wants to appoint a commissioner for defense in the new European Commission. According to her, the war in Ukraine showed that peace must not be taken for granted. According to her, those who argue for the end of support for a country occupied by Russia are not for peace, but for the so-called appeasement (policy of retreat to aggressive parties – ed.) and the subjugation of Ukraine.
According to von der Leyen, Europeans have differences in history and the languages they speak. “But in no language is peace synonymous with surrender, sovereignty is not synonymous with occupation,” she said. According to her, peace is not only the absence of war, but an arrangement that makes war impossible and unnecessary. “That’s why we need to put Ukraine in a position to negotiate such a peace,” she pointed out. It is therefore necessary that Ukraine’s integration into the European Union be at the foundation of every peace effort.
According to her, Russian aggression in Ukraine showed that economic interdependence is not a guarantee of security, but of vulnerability. “It was an illusion. (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin traded his country’s prosperity for his own imperial ambitions,” she said.
According to her, Europe has overcome its long-standing reluctance to spend enough money on its own defense. “Protecting Europe is above all Europe’s duty,” she said. Although NATO remains the center of common defense, stronger European pillars are needed, according to her. That is also why he wants to appoint a commissioner for defense in the new European Commission. “It is a strategic responsibility of Europe,” she added.
The strengthening of the position of Central Europe in world politics was outlined by von der Leyen before the start of the conference in a post on the X social network. “Central Europe is geographically in the heart of Europe. It is also crucial for the future of the EU, strategically and politically. It is therefore the right place to discuss the security challenges and choices facing Europe,” she wrote.
According to ČT editor Barbora Maxová, who is following the negotiations, approximately two thousand guests from a total of seven dozen countries should arrive at the Prague Hilton hotel. Over the course of three days, they will take turns giving speeches on three stages, which are named after former Czech President Václav Havel, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Czech Foreign Minister Karl Schwarzenberg.
ČT editor Barbora Maxová at the Globsec security conference in Prague (source: ČT24)
One of the key topics is supposed to be the Russian invasion of Ukraine or the war in the Middle East. In addition, the statesmen are also supposed to talk about the situation in Africa, where many pro-Western governments have recently been overthrown and subsequently replaced by pro-Russian cabinets. Cyber security and the development of artificial intelligence are also to be debated.
Next to the head of the European Commission von der Leyen, for example Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and some representatives of the Russian opposition – for example Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was recently released from a Russian prison as part of the largest exchange of prisoners between the West and Russia since the Cold War, are scheduled to speak war. According to the organizers, the conference is supposed to prove “an important voice of Central Europe, which wants to speak more in world politics”, added Maxová.
Less formal debates
The conference is the second largest in “our geopolitical space – after the Munich Security Forum”, retired lieutenant general and former commander of the NATO Allied Forces Training Center Pavel Macko said on the ČT24 broadcast.
Lieutenant General Pavel Macko on the Globsec security conference in Prague (source: ČT24)
According to Mack, it is an advantage for the politicians involved that a large part of the meeting takes place so-called “off record” – it is not recorded. “Nobody takes their word for it, they can talk more freely about what to do to improve the security situation. Experts can freely exchange opinions,” he explained.
The guarantor of security in the current democratic space is the North Atlantic Alliance, Macko further noted. “We see that the United Nations should formally be the top player, but the Security Council – today with Russia in the presidency – still dominated by five countries with veto power, unfortunately cannot resolve some issues,” he continued. The same is said to apply to UN missions.
The former ambassador of the Czech Republic to NATO, Jakub Landovský, called the Prague Globsec conference a “perfect act”. He appreciated that organizations such as ASPEN or Jagello 2000 can also participate in the conference. According to him, a wide range of topics were discussed at the meeting. For example, he highlighted the topic of the Russian invasion or the competitiveness of the European bloc.
90′ ČT24: Former Czech Ambassador to NATO Jakub Landovský on the Prague conference (source: ČT24)
However, according to him, aid to the attacked country often does not correspond to the opinions of individual representatives. According to him, the amount of funds released by the West in some cases does not even correspond to the costs of the war in Afghanistan.
Transfer from Bratislava
The previous eighteen editions of Globsec took place in Bratislava. The event was created on the occasion of Slovakia joining NATO. One of the reasons for moving the conference to Prague are disagreements between the organizers and the government of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. “We’d rather give the money for Globsec and Soros to Matica Slovakia,” Fico wrote on Facebook in December 2022 in response to the conference being moved to Prague.
The patronage of the event was thus taken over by Czech President Petr Pavel. “The decision to hold the Globsec Forum 2024 in Prague this year is a symbolic step towards more intensive regional cooperation,” said Globsec president and founder Róbert Vass in March of this year. “Prague’s rich history and strategic importance make it an ideal place to support international dialogue and spread the constructive voice of Central Europe,” he added.
