Europe's Role in MENA Conflict Zones

  • Pace, M. (Organizer)
  • Daniela Huber (Speaker)
  • Tarek Yousef (Speaker)
  • Maria Fantappie (Speaker)
  • Christian Hanelt (Speaker)
  • Kamil Hussain (Organizer)
  • Galip Dalay (Organizer)
  • Sam Martin (Organizer)

Activity: Participating in or organising an eventOrganisation and participation in conference

Description

Europe has long-standing ties with countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. However, a year into the coronavirus crisis, Europe has turned inwards, closing its borders and focusing on internal responses to the pandemic.
The pandemic has exacerbated existing conflicts in the MENA region, affecting European geopolitical and geosecurity interests, including those of the UK. But, while the EU, has been the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Syria, and has played an instrumental role in the Libyan conflict in its role brokering the Libyan Political Agreement, a disjointed European approach to the region recently has allowed for other international powers to gain influence.
In this discussion, the panellists explore key issues for European countries about their engagement and role in the MENA region. What does Europe’s declining influence mean for its geopolitical and geosecurity interests? How will the new US administration affect European policy towards Syria and Libya? How will other powers like Russia and Turkey respond? And has the pandemic affected the EU’s long-term capacity for conflict prevention and peacebuilding in the region?
Period17 Feb 2021
Event typeSeminar
LocationLondon, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational

Keywords

  • EU
  • EU Actorness
  • EU engagement
  • EU external policy
  • EU external relations
  • MENA
  • Middle East and North Africa
  • conflict zones
  • Conflict prevention
  • Conflict analysis
  • conflict resolution
  • EU member States
  • Syria
  • Libya
  • Israel
  • Palestine
  • Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • Yemen
  • Iraq
  • Biden
  • US foreign policy
  • China
  • United States
  • Russia
  • Turkey
  • COVID-19
  • humanitarian aid