The Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at Metropolitan University Prague (MUP) and the Institute of International Relations Prague will hold the fourth Annual CMES conference entitled: An EU Model for Peace in the Middle East on Saturday, 14 March 2009. The conference will be held under the auspices of H.E. Karel Schwarzenberg, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Mr. Álvaro de Soto; former UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process will be present as keynote speaker.
Mr. de Soto will be available to respond to questions from journalists after the conference and will give interviews upon prior arrangement.
The conference will be held from 10:00-14:30 at the Metropolitan University Prague building on Prokopova 16/100, Prague 3 - Žižkov.
The programme promises to provide scholars, students, and the interested public with insightful analyses of the Middle East Peace Process.
The first panel, moderated by Prof. Jaroslav Jakš deals with Identifying Common Interests, Prof. Marc Ellenbogen from the Prague Society for International Cooperation will be the keynote speaker. Topics and speakers that will be presented on the panel are:
The EU´s Interests and Policy Tools in the Middle East
Jiří Schneider; Prague Security Studies Institute
East of Eden:Geopolitical Imperatives for a Middle Eastern Alliance
Mitchell A. Belfer, Ph.D.; Metropolitan University Prague
Turkey As the EU's Agent In The Middle East
Abbas Djavadi, Ph.D.; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
The second panel moderated by Dr. Veronika Bílková, deals with EU Common Foreign & Security Policy and the potential for Middle East Peacebuilding. Topics and speakers that will be presented on the panel are:
Transformative Experiences for the EU CFSP: The Case of Gaza 2008/2009
Jan Šnaidauf; Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
The EU as a Third Party:The European Approach to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Prof. Pavel Barša; Institute of International Relations in Prague
Working language: English
To register and for more information, please contact Lamis Khalilova at
gsm: +420 606 642 225