Minsk Dialogue Forum. Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All.

23-25 May 2018, Minsk Mariott Hotel, Belarus

In today’s world a number of international tensions exist. One of these geopolitical fault lines lies in  Eastern Europe. Here, the status quo looks particularly perilous since the erosion of the rules of international conduct is taking place in the absence of a meaningful dialogue. Even expert forums, which are intended to seek solutions in the interests of peace and cooperation, have become part of the propaganda and information war. Essentially, existing expert platforms only generate more mutual accusations and thus further elevate international tensions. As a result, no real discussion about Eastern Europe’s present or future takes place.

Belarus is located at the heart of Eastern Europe. The country’s geographic position makes it particularly vulnerable to negative developments in the region. Escalating international tensions automatically amplify threats to Belarus’s security and complicate the country’s economic development. Moreover, historically, Belarus repeatedly fell victim to great power confrontation and therefore has a strong “vested interest” in the prevention of major conflict in Eastern Europe.

Since the beginning of 2015, the Minsk Dialogue Track-II Initiative has provided an expert platform to explore ways of minimising regional tensions. Eleven international conferences and numerous thematic discussions have taken place and gathered representatives from various countries and international organisations. With the Minsk Dialogue Forum that the Austro-French Centre supports, Minsk Dialogue will launch a large annual gathering of leading experts from Eastern Europe, the EU, Russia, the United States, and China. It will provide a prominent forum for discussions about present and future challenges to regional and international security.

Programme