Security and Cooperation

KAS

(Right to left) H.E Dr. Salman Khurshid, former Minister for External Affairs, India, Ajit Vinayak Gupte, Head of Mission, Indian Embassy Berlin and Dr. Lars Peter Schmidt, Resident Representative KAS India

KAS

Participants during the conference

KAS

Participants of the conference during discussion

KAS

H.E. Salman Khurshid, Former Union Minister of External Affairs of India during a sight seeing tour in Dresden with Dr. Matthias Rößler, President of the Saxon Legislative Assembly

KAS

Dr. Matthias Roeßler, President of the Saxon Legislative Assembly, Dr. Salman Khurshid, former Minister for External Affairs, India, Jens Paulus, Team leader Europe and North America, KAS

KAS

Klaus-Juergen Hedrich, former Secretary of State, Kanwal Sibal, former Minister of State, External Affairs, Maj-Gen. (Rtd.) Ramesh Chopra, Prof. Dr. Brahma Chellaney

KAS

Indian Participants of the Conference meeting MP Dr. Thomas Feist and MP Ralph Brinkhaus

KAS

Round table Discussion in the Federal Foreign Office

Simultaneously to India´s rise as an economic global player, also the security and foreign political role of the world´s biggest democracy has changed. The role of India as a conscious and conscientious regional power within the south Asian security understanding is included in the international discussion on the future of Afghanistan. In the past years, KAS has invited experts on a yearly basis to the expert discussion in Wackerbarth to analyze divergences and identify overlaps for a possible cooperation. Together with experts from Russia and Central Asia, the participants from India will carry forward a longstanding tradition and analyze current and future, multi-sectorial topics on foreign- and security policy, economy and energy policy. The results in Ukraine and the reactions from Russia and Europe, as also the Asian point of view on these new international challenges, will be this years´ priority. The withdrawal of the ISAF in Afghanistan at the end of 2014 will be in the center of discussion this June. So far, there was a broad consensus regarding the big decisions on Afghanistan within the international community. But now, there is little discussion on this topic, although it is expected, that the whole Asian region will be affected by the further developments in Afghanistan. A further radicalization of some regions and growing terrorism would also reach Europe; this extends to drug trafficking, criminality across borders and human trafficking. Keeping this in mind, the question arises, how the neighboring states will react to the Post-ISAF-era, if common strategies in the area of security can be found and how a stronger economic cooperation could help the situation. Against this background, following experts and high-ranking dignitaries from India were participating:

- H.E. Shri Dr. Salman Khurshid, former Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of External Affairs

- Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs

- Dipankar Banerjee, Major General, Director of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

- Mohan Guruswamy, Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives

- Gen. Ramesh Chopra, Former Chief of Intelligence of the Indian Army

- Prof. Brahma Chellaney, Professor for Strategic Studies. Centre for Policy Research

During the event, the experts were discussing following topics in the panels:

- Predetermined breaking point Ukraine – the end of the commonalities?

- Uncertain future – the end of the ISAF-mission in Afghanistan

- Closer and distant neighbors with own challenges

- Security and economic development in the region as key to the further development

- Course of action and Overlaps for cooperation

- Energy – Means for Cooperation or Confrontation?