Europe’s neighbors in the south and south east are decisive for the stability security of Europe. This was the essential message of the speakers of the second panel concerning the future of the European and global security on Saturday at the 46th Munich Security Conference.

The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs Miguel Moratinos spotlights the view of the southern EU member states on European Security. Photograph by: Kathrin Moebius

In the beginning, the Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, as the foreign minister of the Spanish EU presidency at the same time responsible for the coordination of the European foreign policy, drew the attention quickly to a all too often neglected region.

According to the minister, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their carrier systems, international terrorism as well as the missing domestic and regional stability between Mauritania and Somalia represent challenges which have so far been adequately countered neither by NATO nor by the European Union.

Among these challenges, and in the course of the Munich Security Conference, the situation of the Iranian nuclear program has become a top issue. Here, the Minister said, a new differentiated view would be required for which the European Union should use the momentum of the Lisbon Treaty. Also NATO should direct their attention to Europe’s African neigbors in the scope of their debate about the New Strategic Concept.

A similar message came from the President of Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov. After referring with concern to the gridlocked situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the position of Kosovo which has not yet been finally established under international law, he described the domestic and external way of Macedonia as a model for both the Balkans and any region facing similar challenges.

FYRMacedonia’s multi-ethnic democracy is an anchor of stability in the region and a significant indication of the need to integrate all Balkan states into the democratic Euro-Atlantic security structures. However, as he clearly stated, the attitude of its southern neighbour - Greece – in the “name difference” of the young republic represents a decisive obstacle whose removal would require Europe’s commitment. President Ivanov’s statements ended with a call for a „Pax Europeana“ – a „vision for the Balkans“.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko finshed the way along Europe’s „southeastern flank“. With a view to the decisive round in the presidential elections of 7 February 2010 he rebutted the frequently expressed European concerns that the elections may result in a divide of the Ukrainian foreign policy and a final decision on the political orientation towards either Russia or the European Union.

Ukraine, Poroshenko said, would seek to establish stable and pragmatic relations to all neighbors irrespective of the outcome of the elections. He also objected to any doubts that the elections would fail to comply with democratic standards and showed his firm belief in a positive assessment of the OSCE election observers.

However, the minister expressed his concerns about an evolving „security vacuum“ in the east of the European Union: As Ukraine does not belong to a security-political alliance it might run the risk of being used as a „hostage“ in the long-lasting debates about a new pan-European security architecture. Therefore he emphasized the importance of an accession to the European Union and to NATO - without refusing further reforms of the security architecture.

In the subsequent discussion, the Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos pointed out that the continuity of the existing security-political structures would principally not be refused by the Russian representatives either. The future of the European security, as this panel made clear, cannot be shaped without closely cooperating with Europe’s neighbors. And among them are definitely those in the south east.