Organised in collaboration with the Middle East Institute, the Washington Forum 2014 provided an opportunity for both formal and informal exchanges with Ambassadors of the EU’s Political and Security Committee/European External Action Service and distinguished counterparts from the US State Department on the current situation in the Middle East and North Africa. During sessions entitled ‘The Arab world: lost in transition?’ and ‘The wider Middle East: a theatre of competition?’, expert panellists addressed, inter alia, the following salient issues:
What are the future prospects for the ‘Arab Spring’ countries?
Is democracy still on the cards?
What can outsiders do to stabilise the transition processes?
The two-state-solution: mirage or reality?
Is Assad’s exit still a possibility?
Will the nuclear deal with Tehran fulfil its promises?
In addition to a conversation between EEAS Secretary General Pierre Vimont and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson, the audience was honoured with a keynote speech by Senator John McCain, who offered his thoughts on the enduring conflict in Syria.
