Absence of Russia and Iran from Munich Security Conference casts shadow over talkshttps://en.majalla.com/node/286681/politics/absence-russia-and-iran-munich-security-conference-casts-shadow-over-talks
Absence of Russia and Iran from Munich Security Conference casts shadow over talks
The exclusion of opponents is counterproductive as it furthers global divisions
EPA
More than 500 high-level international decision-makers meet at the 59th Munich Security Conference in Munich during their annual meeting from 17 to 19 February 2023 to discuss global security issues.
Absence of Russia and Iran from Munich Security Conference casts shadow over talks
The recently held Munich Security Conference was overshadowed by the ongoing war in Ukraine, which also eclipsed an array of other international issues, from nuclear negotiations between Iran and the West to the role of China on the world stage.
Instead, dialogue focused on the issue of global polarisation — a phenomenon exacerbated by Russian President Vladmir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022. The war dominated the conference, becoming the first and, perhaps, the only priority among the attendees.
In a departure from previous years, Russia and Iran were not invited to this year’s conference. Their absence was striking — given that these countries, and their actions, were at the centre of debate and discussions at the summit.
The absence of Russia and Iran was striking — given that these countries, and their actions, were at the centre of debate and discussions at the summit.
The Munich Security Conference is the among the top global gatherings of high-level politicians and experts.
Its agenda is typically dominated by issues such as geopolitical relations, the safety of trade corridors, the activity of various intelligence agencies, conventional and nuclear weapons, and other issues related to global security.
The gathering has also been referred to as the 'Defence Davos' in a nod to the World Economic Forum, the annual convention of globalists that meet every year at the Swiss resort.
Purposely excluded
The chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, openly said that Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, had been excluded from the conference over his country's war on Ukraine which he called "a rupture with civilisation."
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks, while sitting with the Munich Security Conference (MSC) Chairman Christoph Heusgen, during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 18, 2023
Meanwhile, Iran's brutal treatment of domestic protesters was cited as a reason why it wasn't invited to the conference.
Tehran has faced perhaps its biggest internal challenge yet after the September 2022 killing of a young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini by the 'morality' police sparked nationwide protests.
Her death prompted domestic calls to overthrow the regime and end the state-imposed rule that women must cover their hair.
Response to Soviet threat
The Munich Conference was set up in 1963 to strengthen the Western front and Nato in the face of the Soviet threat. After the Cold War ended and the subsequent thaw in East/West relations, Russia was allowed to participate and given a permanent participant status.
However, the harmony established after the Cold War did not last. In 2007, an important turning point occurred when Putin delivered an infamous speech accusing the United States of creating a unipolar world in which "there is one master, one sovereign."
However, the harmony established after the Cold War did not last. In 2007, an important turning point occurred when Putin delivered an infamous speech accusing the United States of creating a unipolar world in which "there is one master, one sovereign."
That speech, according to political analysts, brought the growing rift between Russia and the West out into the open. The following year, Russian forces invaded parts of Georgia — a country that aspired to join Nato.
Turning to Iran, its foreign ministers had been welcomed guests of the conference for many years.
They engaged in deliberations on matters ranging from its nuclear programme to the situation in the Middle East, especially after the rise of ISIS and the turmoil it introduced, along with the spread of terrorism in the region and Europe.
Therefore, the absence of Moscow and Tehran from this year's conference marks an emblematic geopolitical shift.
'Shadow delegations'
It also enabled 'shadow delegations' representing dissenters from the two countries to be present. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a businessman and former political prisoner, and Garry Kasparov, the international chess player, were among the voices of opposition to Putin.
Critics of the Iranian regime included former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, activist and journalist Masih Alinejad, actress Nazanin Boniadi, and some families of the victims of the Ukrainian plane that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards shot down near Tehran Airport in February 2020.
Some observers believe that the absence of Russian and Iranian state officials was counterproductive, and that the exclusion of adversaries only furthers global division.
Global foreign ministers pose for a photo during G7 Ministers for Foreign Affairs meeting on the sidelines of the 59th Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, 18 February 2023.
The conference, in their view, is supposed to provide an open space for frank discussions between states that do not necessarily share the same views.
These observers lamented over what they believe is a return to the Cold War atmosphere where participants were limited to only one political camp — with the exception of China.
Chief criticism
Another chief criticism of the conference was that the shadow delegations did not accurately represent the opposition towards the two regimes.
In fact, some members of the Ukrainian delegation refused to meet with figures from the Russian opposition on the pretext that they had not abandoned their extremist nationalist positions hostile to the independence of Ukraine.
On its part, China — the sole representative of those whom the West sees as potential opponents or enemies — tabled a proposal for peace between Russia and Ukraine through Wang Yi, a top Chinese diplomat senior to the foreign minister.
Chinese foreign affairs Minister Wang Yi speaks during the 2023 Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, 18 February 2023.
However, Wang did accuse the US of exploiting the shooting down of Chinese surveillance balloons over US territory to cover up its domestic problems.
Despite his accusations, Wang did hold meetings with his Western counterparts which broke the ice wall that some observers had feared would constrain the entire conference.
A truly international summit which claims to be a forum to bridge communication gaps between governments cannot simply ignore major global events such as the war in Ukraine.
When key participants are excluded, conference organisers cannot confront the developments that they claim to be concerned about, including the suppression of Iranian demonstrations.
