Claiming Leadership
MUNICH Numerous decision makers from most of the so-called ,,crisis belt"states, from the Maghreb region to Afghanistan, are expected to attend the ,,Finanzierungskonferenz Nordafrika Mittelost"(financial conference for North Africa and the Middle East) in Munich on February 11, 2005. Thus, immediately prior to the annual ,,Muenchner Sicherheitskonferenz"(security conference in Munich), the German economy will affirm its claim to leadership over the region which is rich in natural resources. Due to the announced attendance of the Iranian vice minister in charge of economic and foreign relations, serious disagreements between Germany and the United States over Iran are expected during the subsequent ,,Security Conference."Meanwhile German foreign policy experts agree that NATO, another focal point of the ,,Security Conference"is ,,institutionally, functionally and geographically overextended".
At the ,,Financial Conference for North Africa and the Middle East,"hosted by the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BdB, federal league of German industry), leading banking and investment administrators from Germany and most states of the ,,crisis belt"will participate. Among the financial organizations will be relevant financial German institutions (Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, HVB Group), prominent credit institutes from Arab states (Bank of Alexandria, Gulf Finance House, Mashreqbank, Islamic Development Bank, Qatar Industrial Development Bank) as well as international organizations (World Bank, European Investment Bank). 1)
Keys
According to conference documents, organizers from the top ranks of German industrial and financial institutions are soliciting a ,,long term security and investment policy"in the Arab states, Iran and Afghanistan. This, as well as the motto of the conference ( ,,more security through investments") refers specifically to the policy vis-à-vis Iran, according to observers. Because of the threatening US politics, relevant German economic circles fear damage to German interests in natural resources and, thus, refuse linking Berlin's positions with those of Washington. Alluding to the transatlantic disagreement over Iran's possible nuclear armament, it has been stated that ,,trade and investments"are considered ,,important keys to containment and overcoming"security policy risks.
Disappointment
The announcement by US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, not to participate in this year's annual ,,Munich Security Conference"(February 11-12) is especially disturbing in German foreign policy circles with a transatlantic orientation. The organizer of the ,,Security Conference"Horst Teltschik, explained that ,,this will cause disappointment in Europe because there is a considerable need to discuss the Iran crisis." 2)Washington will only be represented by ,,number 3"of the Pentagon who is a foreign policy specialist and is considered to be among the proponents of a military attack on Iran. Thus the conference which is considered an important setting for a global referendum between the western powers, is diminished in significance by the new US administration.
Overextended
Meanwhile, German foreign policy experts judge the future of NATO, which is another central topic of the ,,Security Conference,"with skepticism. The latest edition of ,,Internationale Politik"(international policies), published by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Auswaertige Politik (DGAP, German association for foreign policy), states that NATO which ,,until now has been the institutional element for structuring transatlantic relations"is ,,institutionally, functionally and geographically overextended"and will ,,become more so in the future."Thus the military alliance would ,,cease to be a suitable forum for a geo-strategic transatlantic dialogue." 3)
1) Finanzierungskonferenz Nordafrika Mittelost. Mehr Sicherheit durch Investitionen, Einladung und Programm
2) Rumsfeld boykottiert Muenchner Sicherheitskonferenz; Financial Times Deutschland 20.01.2005
3) Europa und Amerika: business as usual?; Internationale Politik Januar 2005
