Middle East & North Africa

A meeting with Foreign Minister Westerwelle and the agreement for a “strategic dialogue” between Germany and Pakistan was the occasion of Pakistani Foreign Minister, H.E. Hina Rabbani Khar’s visit to Berlin. Khar highlighted the excellent bilateral ties between Germany and Pakistan and thanked Germany for its extraordinary support and understanding.

Abandoning Western prejudices must be a part of this. Contrary to common perceptions, democracy and Islam suit each other well – this was the conclusion of an event with Tariq Ramadan, Professor for Islamic Studies at Oxford. Egyptian Political scientist Mustafa Kamal Al-Sayyid showed how civil society can be strengthened as source of political inspiration. Around 50 participants and speakers from over ten countries convened at the DGAP EU-Middle East Forum for two weeks in Berlin.

At the heart of the Egyptian protests lay demands for economic and social reforms to improve the harsh living conditions of the majority of the population and allow for a life in dignity.

How will allied troops pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014 without jeopardizing the stability it has achieved so far? The country’s future was a focus of the recent NATO Summit; another Afghanistan conference will take place in July. Mark Sedwill, British Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, outlined the priorities and challenges facing international stability efforts at the DGAP.