EU Washington Forum 2013

A number of issues have dominated the transatlantic agenda in 2012, the most pressing of which has been the discussion about the ever-changing security environment in parts of the world that remain essential to transatlantic interests. The democratic transformation in the Middle East and North Africa is still far from being completed and requires a constant monitoring of the situation on the ground as well as continued policy adjustments. This process has not been without consequences for ‘the neighbours of our neighbours’ with the dangerous situation that has developed in the Sahel acting as the clearest example. Further south, off the Horn of Africa, the transatlantic allies have been fighting to ensure the security of major sea lanes. The outcome of this maritime cooperation has yielded remarkable results and is described by those involved as one of the major success stories of recent years. The EU and the US have also intensified their cooperation in the Asia Pacific which resulted in the adoption of a joint declaration by HRVP Ashton and then Secretary of State Clinton. Within this context, this year’s Washington Forum served as a reminder that diplomacy, development and defence are all important elements in attempts to maintain stability and generate growth, even in times of budgetary constraints. The EUWF 2013 was structured as follows:

Expert workshop - Transatlantic Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific

The purpose of this meeting was to infuse some ideas on future transatlantic security cooperation in the Asia Pacific and put forward specific recommendations that could assist policymakers in the implementation of the EU-US statement.

Conference - Transatlantic Security in 3D: from Afghanistan to Mali

The conference brought together a distinguished panel of policymakers and over a hundred European and American experts to discuss the future of transatlantic security arrangements. Full audio coverage of this open event can be found here.

Expert meeting - Maritime security: lessons from on-going cooperation

The purpose of this closed session for European and American policymakers was to look into transatlantic approaches to maritime security, in particular cooperation in counter-piracy operations.