Category: Press review

14.12.2022

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew blasted what he called the “pan-Slavism” of the Russian Church under the leadership of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in a wide-ranging speech last week in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking at the “World Policy Conference – For a Reasonably Open World”, Bartholomew condemned the support the Russian Orthodox Church offers to President Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.

The Ecumenical Patriarch criticized the role of the Russian Church over the last centuries and especially from the 19th century onwards when “in combination with the doctrine of pan-Slavism, it instrumentalized religious sentiment to achieve political and military purposes alien to the Church.”

Russia wanted to submit the church to its will in its effort to instrumentalize the religious feeling for its political and military ends, he said.

“From the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, Moscow aspired to replace the Ecumenical Patriarchate by proclaiming that Moscow represented ‘the third Rome’. This long-lasting policy of Moscow constitutes a fundamental factor of the division of the Orthodox world,” Bartholomew opined.

Bartholomew: Russian Church instrumentalizes religion

From the 19th century, Moscow instrumentalized religion he added. “Inspired by Pan-Germanism, the new ideology of Pan-Slavism, an organ of Russian foreign policy, acquired a religious component. This is the idea that churches should organize themselves according to the principle of ethnicity, the central marker of which would be language.

“It is this approach that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople denounced in 1872 as heresy (the heresy of ethnophyletism, a form of ecclesial racism). It is in flagrant contradiction with the universalism of the Gospel message, as well as the principle of territorial governance which defines the organization of our church,” Bartholomew said.

He stressed that following the collapse of Communism, Russia used religion again for ideological purposes. The Russian Orthodox Church has sided with the regime of President Vladimir Putin, especially since the election of Patriarch Kirill in 2009.

“It actively participates in the promotion of the ideology of Rousskii Mir, of the Russian world, according to which language and religion make it possible to define a coherent whole encompassing Russia, Ukraine, Belarus as well as the other territories of the former Soviet Union and the diaspora.

[…]

By Tasos Kokkinidis.

Read the article on Greek Reporter.

Nick Webster

Dec 11, 2022

Dmytro Kuleba says a strategic victory in the war involves the entire international community

Russian forces in Ukraine will struggle to fight in the winter because they have been poorly equipped and ill-treated, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister told the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi.

Plunging temperatures and heavy snow have created new challenges in the invasion that began in February, with many towns and cities across Ukraine left without power due to Russian bombing raids.

Addressing the conference from Kyiv by video link, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, whose home has been among those without power, said more than half of Ukraine’s power generation facilities have been damaged or destroyed.

“One of the reasons Ukraine has been able to repel these Russian attacks is because we have never relied on the weather or the seasons,” he said.

“The stakes are very high and nothing can stop our great soldiers or our people, who have suffered enormously.

“We know our army needs to be well-equipped in the winter, just as in the summer.

“The difference between us and the Russians is that we take better care of our soldiers, with better food and uniforms to survive in this environment.

“We have seen how poorly equipped the Russian soldiers are, and also how poorly treated they are — this is a disgrace of the Russian army.

“Many Russian soldiers will suffer enormously because of the cold weather.

“Winter is a game-changer, we know that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has not accepted the reality that Russia is losing the war and that Russia will not win.”

Mr Kuleba said Russia was using “Second World War-era warfare” by sending poorly trained soldiers, prisoners and private mercenaries such as the Wagner Group to fight.

“They are sent in as cannon fodder — they are called ‘one timers’,” he said.

He said that showed “human life does not matter to Russia”.

“This is the biggest difference with Ukraine. Our people are precious to our country.”

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de The National.

11.12.2022

Το Σάββατο, 10 Δεκεμβρίου 2022, δεύτερη ημέρα των εργασιών του Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου του “World Policy Conference – For a Reasonably Open World” οι μετέχοντες είχαν την ευκαιρία να επικοινωνήσουν διαδικτυακά με τον Εξοχ. Υπουργό Εξωτερικών της Ουκρανίας κ. Dmytro Kuleba, ο οποίος αναφέρθηκε στην επικρατούσα κατάσταση στην Ουκρανία και απάντησε σε πλήθος ερωτήσεών τους.

Το βράδυ παρετέθη το επίσημο δείπνο του Συνεδρίου, στο οποίο κύριος ομιλητής ήταν ο πρώην Πρωθυπουργός της Γαλλίας Εξοχ. κ. Laurent Fabius, Πρόεδρος του COP21 και του Συνταγματικού Συμβουλίου της Γαλλίας, ο οποίος μετά την εισαγωγική ομιλία του απάντησε σε ερωτήσεις των συνδαιτυμόνων.

Στο χθεσινό μεσημβρινό διάλειμμα η Α.Θ. Παναγιότης ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης δέχθηκε στο κατάλυμά του, το Ξενοδοχείο St. Regis, τον Θεοφιλ. Επίσκοπο κ. Γρηγόριο και τον Πανοσιολ. Αρχιμανδρίτη κ. Μιχάηλ του Πατριαρχείου Αντιοχείας, οι οποίοι διακονούν στην περιοχή των Ηνωμένων Αραβικών Εμιράτων και οι οποίοι συνγευμάτισαν με τον Παναγιώτατο.

Σήμερα, Κυριακή, 11 Δεκεμβρίου, οι συνεδρίες είναι αφιερωμένες σε θέματα πανδημίας, δημόσιας υγείας και τροφίμων, καθώς και στο θέμα της Μέσης Ανατολής.

Μεταξύ των ομιλητών είναι και η Εξοχ. Υπουργός Κλιματικής Αλλαγής και Περιβάλλοντος των Εμιράτων κυρία Mariam Al Mheira, η οποία ανέφερε ότι η επόμενη Διάσκεψη για την κλιματική αλλαγή (COP28) του έτους 2023 θα γίνει στην χώρα της.

Το Συνέδριο θα κλείσει απόψε με ομιλία του Υπουργού Εξωτερικών της Σαουδικής Αραβίας, Α.Υ. Πρίγκηπος Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Θα ακολουθήσει επίσκεψη στο Μουσείο του Λούβρου του Abu Dhabi.

Read the article on Romfea.

Published on Dec. 13, 2022

The UAE is one of the world’s biggest oil producers

Next year’s UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirates must work towards a just and equitable energy transition, the oil-rich host country, seeking a gradual move from fossil fuels, said Friday.

The UAE is one of the world’s biggest oil producers.

It wants to “bring diverse and different thoughts to the table from all around the world and in particular the countries of the global south”, said Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy.

“How we manage to deal with a just energy transition by also ensuring prosperity and stability for people around the world, how we manage to do that in a manner that’s equitable” is the issue, she told the World Policy Conference of political, business, academic and other leaders in Abu Dhabi.

In an interview with AFP in July, the UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri insisted the world is “not ready” to switch from hydrocarbons, despite the havoc being unleashed by global warming.

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de Zawya.

08.12.2023

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, today, Thursday, December 8, 2022, accompanied by Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Tertiary Patriarchal Deacon Kallinikos, departed for Abu Dhabi, in order to participate in two International Conferences of Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue.

Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra was appointed Commissioner.

Read the article on OrthodoxTimes.

 12/12/2022

A senior UAE official announced on Saturday it was hopeful to see greater European outreach to Gulf Arab countries in the face of the Ukraine war and energy crisis, but that engagement should not be “transactional.”

A number of European officials went to Gulf countries to secure energy deliveries outside of former top provider Russia when the West forced penalties on Moscow over its attack on Ukraine.

“What we’re hearing, especially from the Germans and others, about reengaging with the Gulf, I am encouraged but I would warn that it should not be transactional,” Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic consultant to the president of the UAE, updated the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi. “I think that language is partly driven by self-interest — trying to find new gas providers, new oil providers,” he said.

“We need to see actions … it has to be long term and strategic.”

Gargash repeated a call for “explicit” security pledges from traditional Western partners, mainly in coping with the threat from Iranian drones that Gulf states have long warned about.

It was not until these arms “made it into the Ukraine theater” that they were “catapulted” into the spotlight, and “suddenly the world rediscovered this issue,” Gargash added.

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de MenaFN.

15.12.2022

“The distorted Orthodox faith (ie heresy in the ecclesiastical sense) is becoming the basis of the ideology of the Putin regime.” This is the main thesis of the program speech delivered by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on December 10 during the International Conference on World Politics in Abu Dhabi, which is taking place these days.

The International Conference on World Politics is a kind of Valdais club, but of the Western democracies, chaired by the head of the French Institute of International Relations Prof. Thierry de Montbrial and bringing together authoritative political scientists and diplomats from the East and the West. Patriarch Bartholomew was also invited to speak at the fifteenth edition of the forum that year.

According to the patriarch, post-secularism in synthesis with Moscow’s neo-imperialism, the remnants of Soviet ideology and the paranoia of a political leader has created an ugly, bloody hybrid, the fruit of which is the bloody war in Ukraine. Until recently, theological disputes and the analysis of heresies were the purview of a narrow circle of professional theologians. However, with the outbreak of war in 2022, especially after Russian propaganda began to make it “sacred”, it became clear that even in our “enlightened” age, heresy can lead to mass bloodshed in a mad attempt to destroy the most the great European nation – Ukraine.

The Ecumenical Patriarch does not consider Russian Orthodoxy a heresy, recognizing its “great intellectual, spiritual and artistic contribution” to the Christian tradition. According to him, heresy is the ideology of the “Russian world”, which is pushed by Patr. Kirill (Gundyaev), Vladimir Putin and their ideological minions, cynically using the “revived religious feeling of the people” as a convenient political tool. Without the experience of immersion in Soviet atheism, which cut off the Russian people from the continuity of spiritual life, from tradition, the ideology of the “Russian world” could not conquer the consciousness of Russians. This ideology is a postmodernist neo-Orthodoxy that has fused into one the purely external trappings of pre-revolutionary imperial Orthodoxy, the clumsiness of Soviet atheism, and the psychic trauma left over from the collapse of the USSR.

[…]

Read the article on The European Times.

 

شكك وزير الخارجية السعودي الأمير فيصل بن فرحان في إمكانية أن تؤدي إعادة إحياء الاتفاق النووي الإيراني إلى منع إيران من الحصول على سلاح نووي.

وقال فيصل بن فرحان، في مؤتمر السياسات العالمية بالعاصمة الإماراتية أبوظبي، إن إحياء الاتفاق النووي الإيراني يجب أن يكون “نقطة بداية”، مؤكدا أن المؤشرات بالنسبة لإعادة إحياء الاتفاق حاليا “ليست إيجابية”.

وأضاف وزير الخارجية السعودي: “إذا لم يتم التوصل إلى اتفاق، أعتقد أننا سندخل في فترة معقدة وخطيرة جدا في منطقتنا يجب أن نتفاداها، وحتى إذا تم التوصل إلى اتفاق فهذه ليست النهاية ويجب أن ننظر إلى ما هو أبعد من ذلك من أجل اتفاق قوي”.

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de Almasdr 24.

14.12.2022

Der saudische Außenminister äußerte seine Besorgnis über einen atomar bewaffneten Iran, der den gesamten Nahen Osten in einen sehr gefährlichen geopolitischen Raum verwandeln würde.

Der saudi-arabische Außenminister Prinz Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud sagte am Sonntag, die arabischen Golfstaaten würden »sich selbst um die Gewährleistung ihrer Sicherheit kümmern«, falls Teheran in den Besitz von Atomwaffen gelange. »Hat der Iran eine einsatzfähige Atomwaffe, ist alles möglich«, meinte er während der World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi, als er auf ein solches Szenario angesprochen wurde.

»Wir befinden uns in einem sehr gefährlichen Raum in der Region. Die Zeichen sind im Moment leider nicht sehr positiv«, sagte Faisal laut einem Bericht der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. »Wir hören von den Iranern, dass sie kein Interesse an einem Atomwaffenprogramm haben. Es wäre sehr beruhigend, könnten wir das glauben. Wir brauchen mehr Sicherheit auf dieser Ebene.«

Der Iran bestreitet nach wie vor, dass sein Atomprogramm nicht nur friedlichen, zivilen Zwecken diene, doch die Größe dieses Programms mache für diese Erklärung schlicht keinen Sinn. So hat im September auch die UN-Atomenergiebehörde Zweifel am friedlichen Charakter des iranischen Atomprojekts geäußert. Sie sei »nicht in der Lage zu versichern, dass das iranische Atomprogramm ausschließlich friedlich ist«, erklärte die IAEO damals in ihrem Bericht.

Indirekte amerikanisch-iranische Gespräche zur Rettung des als Gemeinsamer Umfassender Aktionsplan (JCPOA) genannten Atomabkommens zwischen dem Iran und den Weltmächten aus dem Jahr 2015 kamen im September zum Stillstand.

Riad bleibe »skeptisch« gegenüber dem Abkommen, sagte Prinz Faisal, unterstütze aber die Bemühungen um seine Wiederbelebung »unter der Bedingung, dass es ein Ausgangs- und kein Endpunkt« für ein stärkeres Atomabkommen ist. Die arabischen Golfstaaten wollen eine Vereinbarung, die auch ihre Bedenken hinsichtlich der iranischen Raketen- und Drohnenprogramme sowie der Finanzierung eines Terrornetzwerks regionaler Stellvertreter durch die Islamische Republik berücksichtige.

[…]

Read the article on mena-watch.

28.01.2023

China and South Korea keen to exploit Israeli-Arab rapprochement

Many Asian countries depend heavily on oil from the Middle East to meet their energy needs. In particular, Japan buys more than 90% of its imported crude oil from the region. Now a geopolitical earthquake of an unprecedented scale is rocking the region, with potentially huge implications for Japan and the rest of Asia.

China and South Korea have already sensed new strategic opportunities. Last December, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia and signed a comprehensive strategic partnership in energy, high tech and other areas. The following month, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol traveled to the United Arab Emirates, which agreed to invest $30 billion in 13 South Korean projects in such fields as energy, defense and space.

Ever since Israel was founded in 1948, the Middle East has been embroiled in conflicts between the Jewish state and the Arab countries. The two sides have fought four wars, with the Arab nations committed to supporting Palestinians who lost their homes and have been living as refugees. Except for Egypt and Jordan, no Arab country had a formal diplomatic tie with Israel until recently.

But the geopolitical landscape has begun to change. Some Arab nations are now developing partnerships with Israel not just in commerce but in security as well. Leading this trend is the UAE, which has struck a broad security partnership with Israel.

Recently, the UAE quietly installed Israel’s Barak 8 air defense system near its capital, Abu Dhabi. Israel offered the advanced unit, capable of shooting down missiles and drones, as part of the bilateral security pact, with its deployment completed before this winter, said an Israeli military expert.

Israel is also expanding intelligence ties with Arab nations. The top official of Mossad, Israel’s chief intelligence and secret-service agency, visited Bahrain this month and signed an agreement to cooperate in intelligence activities with its counterpart there. Some Mossad agents are already working in Bahrain, sharing sensitive military information with its intelligence authority, according to a Bahrain official.

The expanding relationships between Israel and these Arab nations are direct consequences of the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and Arab states.

Brokered by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, the normalization deals were first struck between Israel and two Arab neighbors, the UAE and Bahrain, in September 2020. Israel and Morocco agreed to normalize relations in December the same year. These pacts have changed what had long been seen as a confrontation between Israel and a united Arab front.

Local experts point out two geopolitical factors that bind Israel and some Arab nations.

One is the security threat posed by Iran, their common enemy. Iran has been developing nuclear arms while also expanding its influence in the Middle East by taking advantage of turmoil in Syria and Iraq.

Tehran’s military and geopolitical ambitions are deeply disturbing to Israel, which Iran’s Islamic government regards as an archenemy. Iran has been providing military support to armed Islamic groups, including Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Iran is also a serious threat to Arab kingdoms as it purportedly seeks to “export” its Islamic Revolution, which brought the collapse of the last Iranian dynasty, to its Arab neighbors. Iran’s increased influence could shake the foundations of Arab kingdoms.

“Today, we are still suffering from this real serious threat from Iran,” said Abdulaziz Sager, founder and chairman of the Gulf Research Center, at the World Policy Conference held in Abu Dhabi last December.

[…]

By Hiroyuki Akita.

Read the article on Nikkei Asia.

انطلاق مؤتمر السياسات العالمي.. والإمارات تؤكد التعاون لحل المشكلات الدولية

العين الإخباريةالجمعة 2022/12/9 04:34 م بتوقيت أبوظبي

مؤتمر السياسات العالمي في أبوظبي نحو عالم أكثر انفتاحاً وازدهاراً

تم تحديثه الجمعة 2022/12/9 08:36 م بتوقيت أبوظبي

انطلقت في أبوظبي، اليوم الجمعة، مؤتمر السياسات العالمي في دورته الـ15 والتي تنعقد على مدار 3 أيام في العاصمة الإماراتية بحضور دولي لافت.

وقالت ريم الهاشمي، وزير الدولة الإماراتية لشؤون التعاون الدولي، في افتتاح المؤتمر، إن التقدم الذي تشهده بلادنا قائم على مبدأ احترام القيم ووجهات النظر المختلفة.

وأضافت أنه “ينبغى أن ندرس ونتفهم جيدا التحديات التي مررنا بها خلال العام الحالي”، مشيرة إلى أن المشكلات العالمية يجب حلها بروح التعاون.

وشددت الهاشمي على أن “دولة الإمارات تحوي العديد من الثقافات على مستوى عربي وعالمي، كما نتبادل السلع مع الدول الأخرى نتبادل الممارسات والأفكار مع جميع الدول حول العالم لنتعلم كيف ننمو كأمة وشعب”.

وأشارت إلى أنه “لمواجهة تحديات الغد والمشكلات التي نواجهها اليوم يجب أن نقيم بدقة أين نقف الآن، 2022 كانت سنة تحديات خاصة التعافي من جائحة كورونا، وكذلك الحرب الروسية الأوكرانية التي أدت لأزمة إنسانية كبيرة في أوروبا وأثرت على ملفات أخرى مثل سلاسل الإمداد والأمن الغذائي”.

وأوضحت أن “الإمارات تستضيف كوب 28 ونعمل على جلب الأفكار المختلفة للنقاش”.

ولفتت الهاشمي إلى أن “المؤسسات التي تأسست في مرحلة ما بعد الحرب العالمية الثانية واجهت خلال آخر 10 سنوات تحديات دايناميكية، ويجب على هذه المؤسسات أن تظل تعمل على إيجاد حلول للمشكلات الحالية”.

واختتمت كلمتها مؤكدة أن “طريق التقدم في دولة الإمارات واضح وسيتم عبر الحوار البناء”.

ويشارك في فعاليات المؤتمر، والذي تأسس على يد تييري دي مونتبريال رئيس المعهد الفرنسي للعلاقات الدولية، نخبة من صناع القرار والخبراء الأكاديميين وقادة الرأي من أكثر من 40 دولة.

ومن المتوقع أن يناقش المواضيع المتعلقة بالأولويات الجيوسياسية والاقتصادية والثقافية، والحلول لعدد من التحديات العالمية المعاصرة وكيفية العمل على تعميق الروابط بين القطاعات العالمية المختلفة

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de Al-Ain News

10.12.2022

【アブダビ=北松円香】ウクライナのクレバ外相は10日、停戦交渉の際にはロシアの安全保障を考慮すべきだとしたフランスのマクロン大統領の最近の発言を批判した。フランスによる支援に感謝の意を示す一方、ロシアの立場に配慮する発言は「理解できない」と反発した。

著名シンクタンクのフランス国際関係研究所（IFRI）がアブダビで開催中の「世界政策会議」にオンラインで参加し、ウクライナの現状について述べた。…

Read the article on Nikkei.

12.12.2022

외교장관 “페르시아만 국가들, 안보 강화하기 위해 행동 나설 것”

(서울=연합뉴스) 임화섭 기자 = 만약 이란이 실제로 작동하는 핵무기를 갖게 된다면 “무슨 일이 생길지 모르는” 상황이 되며 페르시아만 국가들은 안보를 강화하기 위해 행동에 나설 것이라고 사우디아라비아 외교장관이 11일(현지시간) 경고했다.

로이터통신에 따르면 파이살 빈 파르한 알사우드 사우디아라비아 외교장관은 아랍에미리트(UAE) 아부다비에서 열린 세계정책회의(World Policy Conference)의 무대 위 인터뷰에서 질문을 받고 이렇게 답했다.

그는 “우리는 이 지역(페르시아만)에서 매우 위험한 공간에 있다”며 “지역 국가들은 어떻게 하면 스스로의 안보를 확보할 수 있을지 고려하게 될 것이 분명하다”고 말했다.

사우디 외교장관의 이번 발언은 최근 이란이 핵물질 농축 역량을 키우고 있다고 발표한 데 대해 라파엘 그로시 국제원자력기구(IAEA) 사무총장이 우려를 표명하고 대화 재개를 촉구한 가운데 나온 것이다.

이란이 미국과 프랑스, 영국, 러시아, 중국, 독일 등 6개국과 2015년 체결한 핵합의(JCPOA·포괄적 공동행동계획)를 도널드 트럼프 전 미국 행정부가 2018년 일방적으로 탈퇴하고 대이란 제재를 복원하자, 이란은 IAEA 사찰을 제한하고 우라늄 농축 농도를 높여왔다.

이란은 핵무기 개발 의혹을 부인하면서 자국의 핵 프로그램은 평화적 목적을 위한 것이라고 주장해 왔다.

미국에 조 바이든 행정부가 들어선 후 JCPOA를 되살리기 위한 대화가 한동안 진행됐으나 9월부터는 열리지 않고 있다.

파이살 사우디 외교장관은 사우디가 이란 핵합의에 대해 “회의적”이긴 하지만 이를 되살리기 위한 노력은 지지한다고 말했다. 그는 다만 “이란 핵합의는 (이란 측과 더욱 강력한 합의를 하기 위한) ‘끝 지점’이 아니라 ‘시작 지점’이 되어야 할 것이라고 주장했다.

그는 “불행하게도 지금 당장은 징조가 아주 긍정적이지 않다”며, 핵무기 계획에 관심이 없다는 이란의 주장을 믿을 수 있으려면 더욱 많은 보장이 필요하다고 말했다.

Read the article on Newstong.

12.12.2022

이란이 핵무기를 보유할 경우 주변국들은 자체 안보를 강화하기 위한 행동에 나설 것이라고 파이살 빈 파르한 알사우드 사우디아라비아 외무장관이 밝혔습니다.

파이살 장관은 어제(11일) 아랍에미리트(UAE) 아부다비에서 열린 세계정책회의(World Policy Conference) 인터뷰에서 “만일 이란이 작동하는 핵무기를 갖게 된다면 모든 예측이 불가능하다”고 말했습니다.

그러면서, “역내 국가들은 스스로의 안전을 보장할 수 있는 방안을 찾게 될 것”이라고 밝혔습니다.

파이살 장관은 “우리는 이란인들로부터 그들이 핵 프로그램에 관심이 없다는 말을 들었다”면서 “그것을 믿을 수 있다면 매우 위안이 될 것이며, 우린 그 수준에서 좀더 확신이 필요하다”고 말했습니다.

파이살 장관의 발언은 최근 이란이 순도 60%의 농축우라늄 생산을 재개하는 등 핵 역량을 강화하고 있다고 발표한 가운데 나왔습니다.

이란은 핵무기 개발 의혹을 부인하면서 자국의 핵 프로그램은 평화적 목적이라고 주장하고 있습니다.

VOA 뉴스

Read the article on VoaKorea.

12.12.2022

El ministro de Exteriores de Arabia Saudí dijo que si Irán desarrolla un arma nuclear, los países de la región buscarán su seguridad.

El ministro de Exteriores de Arabia Saudí, Faisal bin Farhan, dijo que, si Irán desarrolla un arma nuclear, los países de la región del golfo Pérsico y de Oriente Medio “reaccionarán” para garantizar su propia seguridad.

“Creo claramente que, si Irán obtiene un arma nuclear operativa, todas las apuestas están cerradas”, dijo el jefe de la diplomacia saudí en un panel en el foro World Policy Conference de Abu Dabi, en Emiratos Árabes Unidos.

De acuerdo con Bin Farhan, la región es “un espacio muy peligroso”, puesto que “se ha visto una actividad significativa de Irán” en relación al enriquecimiento de uranio y al posible desarrollo de armas nucleares.

“Y, por supuesto, los estados regionales no querrán estar expuestos a tal amenaza sin reaccionar. Podemos esperar que los estados regionales, sin duda, busquen cómo garantizar su propia seguridad”, apuntó el ministro.

Asimismo, hizo referencia a las crecientes tensiones políticas y económicas entre Estados Unidos y China, las dos potencias mundiales, y aseguró que “la polarización es la última cosa que necesitamos ahora mismo”.

“Ya estamos viendo tremendas presiones sobre la economía global (…) más polarización no es la manera de resolver eso, es solo la forma de exacerbarlo. Necesitamos construir puentes”, dijo Bin Farhan, cuyo país mantiene buenas relaciones con las dos potencias pero que recientemente se está acercando más a China.

[…]

Read the article on El Siglo de Durango.

10.12.2022

DUBAI (Reuters) – A senior United Arab Emirates official said on Saturday it was encouraging to see greater European outreach to Gulf Arab states in the face of the Ukraine conflict and energy crunch, but that engagement should not be “transactional”.

A number of European officials have visited Gulf countries to secure energy supplies outside of former top provider Russia after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

“What we’re hearing, especially from the Germans and others, about reengaging with the Gulf, I am encouraged but I would warn that it should not be transactional,” Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the president of the UAE, told the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi.

“I think that language is partly driven by self-interest — trying to find new gas providers, new oil providers,” he said. “We need to see actions… it has to be long term and strategic.”

Gargash reiterated a call for “explicit” security assurances from traditional Western allies, especially in dealing with the threat from Iranian drones that Gulf states have long warned about.

It was not until these weapons “made it into the Ukraine theatre” that they were “catapulted” into the spotlight, and “suddenly the world rediscovered this issue”, Gargash said.

Western states have accused Russia of using Iranian drones to attack targets in Ukraine, which Tehran and Moscow have denied.

[…]

Read the article on Saltwire.

 

09.12.2022

La réunion annuelle du Think Tank «World Policy Conférence» tient ses assises à Abu Dhabi en présence de nombreux leaders du secteur privé international, d’anciens chefs de gouvernements, de ministres et chercheurs.

Aminata Touré dans le panel d’ouverture sur le thème « Une géo-économie du Développement international dans un monde fragmenté » a fait remarquer que l’absence de au Conseil de Sécurité de l’Afrique composée de 54 pays n’a aucun sens, plus de 70 après la création des Nations Unies.

Selon elle, pour crédibiliser le discours sur la gouvernance mondiale il faut commencer par réparer cette situation injuste qui n’a que trop duré. Aminata Touré a aussi plaidé pour la reconnaissance de la contribution significative des femmes à l’économie mondiale et la nécessité de leur accorder plus de place, de soutien et de respect.

Lire l’article sur sene.news.

10.12.2022

Aminata Touré, députée à l’Assemblée nationale sénégalaise, était présente à la 15e édition de la Worl Policy Conference (WPC). L’ancienne Première Ministre intervenait lors de la plénière « Geoeconomics and Development in a Fragmented World » pour évoquer la place du continent Africain dans la géopolitique mondiale.

S’adressant aux intervenants, Aminata Touré explique qu’il est fondamental de permettre aux femmes (51% de la population) de contribuer aux décisions sociales, économiques, etc. Pour elle, il serait temps que l’on ait une bonne cartographie du terrorisme si l’on veut sérieusement régler la question.

L’ancienne Première Ministre invite, aussi, à un dialogue sur les contentieux pour redéfinir les relations entre l’Afrique et l’Europe, les États-Unis et le reste du monde. L’Afrique a bien compris qu’il faut investir sur ses femmes, ses jeunes et ses institutions.

« Lors de la réunion annuelle du World Policy Conference de Abu Dhabi sur la Gouvernance globale qui a vu la présence de nombreux leaders du secteur privé international, d’anciens chefs de gouvernements, de ministres et chercheurs, nous avons fait remarquer que l’absence au Conseil de Sécurité de l’Afrique qui est composée de 54 pays n’a aucun sens, plus de 70 après la création des Nations Unies.

Nous leur avons aussi fait savoir lors de ce panel d’ouverture, qui avait pour thème « Une géo-économie du Développement international dans un monde fragmenté », que pour crédibiliser le discours sur la gouvernance mondiale, il faut commencer par réparer cette situation injuste qui n’a que trop duré. Nous avons par ailleurs plaidé pour la reconnaissance de la contribution significative des femmes à l’économie mondiale et la nécessité de leur accorder plus de place, de soutien et de respect », a écrit Aminata Touré sur Facebook parcouru par Xibaaru.

Par Niakaar.

Lire l’article sur Xibaaru.

09.12.2022

La réunion annuelle du Think Tank «World Policy Conférence» tient ses assises à Abu Dhabi en présence de nombreux leaders du secteur privé international, d’anciens chefs de gouvernement, de ministres et  chercheurs.

Prenant part au panel d’ouverture sur le thème “Une géo-économie du Développement international dans un monde fragmenté”, Aminata Touré a fait état de l’absence au Conseil de Sécurité de l’Afrique composée de 54 pays. Selon elle, cela n’a aucun sens pour cette organisation internationale qui a d’ailleurs soufflé ses 77 bougies (Nations Unies).

Aminata Touré a insisté sur la réparation de cette situation “injuste” afin de crédibiliser le discours sur la gouvernance mondiale. Parallèlement, elle a plaidé pour la reconnaissance de la contribution significative des femmes à l’économie mondiale et la nécessité de leur accorder plus de place, de soutien et de respect…

Lire l’article sur Dakaractu.

10.12.2022

The Minister of State Prof. Nshuti Manasseh has called for the international community to look for sustainable solutions that address root causes of conflicts.

The Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Charge of East African Community made this remark in a plenary session on “The Sahel and West Africa: Geopolitics and Geo-economics” at the 15th Edition of the World Policy Conference taking place in Abu Dhabi, UAE from 9th – 11th December 2022.

Minister Nshuti told participants that consequences of insecurity in Sahel affect many countries.

“The terrorism threat is affecting and dangerously spreading beyond the Sahel region. As we all know terrorism has no borders,” he said.

Reflecting on solutions to conflicts, the official reminded that military means cannot be perceived as a panacea for all insecurity challenges.

“Security cannot be solely defined and addressed simply by military means. It is important to address root causes of insecurity which include poor governance, service delivery and socio-economic challenges to ensure stable and cohesive societies,” he emphasized.

He added that there is need to increase Africa’s financial capacity to timely and efficiently respond to threats against peace and security on the continent.

“Indeed, in the world of peace support interventions, those who have the means lack the will, and those with the will lack resources,” he said.

Speaking on Rwanda’s commitment to peace and security efforts in Sahel and the whole African continent, the Minister of state told the gathering that Rwanda supports peace interventions through multilateral and bilateral arrangements.

“From the experience of Rwanda’s military support in Mozambique and Central African Republic, it’s proven that bilateral arrangements complement multilateral interventions in a better way to produce timely results,” he said.

The work of the fifteenth edition cover issues such as the International Economic Order, the Sahel and West Africa, US-China Rivalry, the Future of EU, Climate Change and Energy Transition, Public Health, Food Security, and many topics. More than 200 international leading figures are attending the conference.

By Peter Muyombano.

Read the article on KTPRESS.

10.12.2022

The international community should look for sustainable solutions that address root causes of conflicts, Prof. Nshuti Manasseh, Minister of State in the Foreign Affairs Ministry has said.

Manasseh said this during a plenary session on “The Sahel and West Africa: Geopolitics and Geo-economics” at the 15th Edition of the World Policy Conference taking place in Abu Dhabi, UAE from December 9 to 11, 2022.

He said the consequences of insecurity in Sahel affect many countries. “The terrorist threat is affecting and dangerously spreading beyond the Sahel region. As we all know terrorism has no borders.”

Reflecting on solutions to conflicts, Prof. Nshuti Manasseh reminded that military means cannot be perceived as a panacea for all insecurity challenges.

“Security cannot be solely defined and addressed simply by military means. It is important to address root causes of insecurity which include poor governance, service delivery and socio-economic challenges to ensure stable and cohesive societies,” he emphasized.

The state Minister added that there is need to increase Africa’s financial capacity to timely and efficiently respond to threats against peace and security on the continent.

“Indeed, in the world of peace support interventions, those who have the means lack the will, and those with the will lack resources,” he noted.

Speaking on Rwanda’s commitment to peace and security efforts in Sahel and the whole African continent, the Minister of state Prof. Nshuti told the gathering that Rwanda supports peace interventions through multilateral and bilateral arrangements.

“From the experience of Rwanda’s military support in Mozambique and Central African Republic, it’s proven that bilateral arrangements complement multilateral interventions in a better way to produce timely results,” he said.

The work of the fifteenth edition cover issues such as the International Economic Order, the Sahel and West Africa, US-China Rivalry, the Future of EU, Climate Change and Energy Transition, Public Health, Food Security, and many topics. More than 200 international leading figures are attending the conference.

By Michel Nkurunziza.

Read the article on The New Times.

06.12.2022

Le ministre d’Etat chargé de l’Economie et des Finances Romuald Wadagni est invité à prendre part à la quinzième édition de la World Policy Conference (WPC) du 9 au 11 décembre 2022 à Abou Dabi, aux Émirats arabes unis.

Pour la deuxième fois, la ville d’Abou Dabi accueille la World Policy Conference (Conférence sur la politique mondiale ) du 9 au 11 décembre 2022. ¨Le ministre d’Etat chargé de l’Economie et des Finances Romuald Wadagni est attendu à cet événement. Il y sera avec d’autres personnalités de l’Arabie Saoudite, de l’Ukraine, du Rwanda, du Kazakhstan, du Sénégal etc.

La mission de la World Policy Conference est de contribuer à promouvoir un monde plus ouvert, plus prospère et plus juste. Fondée en 2008 par Thierry de Montbrial, président de l’Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri), la WPC offre « un espace de réflexion et de dialogue essentiel autour des grands enjeux de la gouvernance mondiale, tout en permettant à ses participants de développer des liens durables ».

Les travaux de la quinzième édition seront axés sur « l’ordre économique international, le Sahel et l’Afrique de l’Ouest, la rivalité sino-américaine, l’avenir de l’Union européenne, le changement climatique et la transition énergétique, la santé publique, la sécurité alimentaire, et bien d’autres sujets ».

Le vendredi 9 décembre, le ministre d’État, Romuald Wadagni va intervenir au cours de la session plénière 5 intitulée : « Le Sahel et l’Afrique de l’Ouest : géopolitique et géoéconomie ». Il sera aux côtés du Général Francis A. Behanzin, président co-fondateur du Réseau mondial des professionnels de sécurité et de défense pour la prévention et la lutte contre le terrorisme ; Serge Ekué, président de la Banque ouest-africaine de développement (BOAD) et Manasseh Nshuti, ministre d’État aux Affaires étrangères du Rwanda.

Par Akpédjé Ayosso.

Lire l’article sur 24 Heures au Bénin.

13.12.2022

Le Bénin a été invité à présenter ses réformes à la 15eme édition de la World Policy Conference (WPC) tenue à Abu Dabi du 9 au 11 décembre 2022.

Les travaux de cette édition étaient axés sur « l’ordre économique international, le Sahel et l’Afrique de l’Ouest, la rivalité sino-américaine, l’avenir de l’Union européenne, le changement climatique et la transition énergétique, la santé publique, la sécurité alimentaire, et bien d’autres sujets».

Le vendredi 9 décembre, le ministre d’État, Romuald Wadagni est intervenu lors de la session plénière 5 intitulée : « Le Sahel et l’Afrique de l’Ouest : géopolitique et géoéconomie ». Il avait à aux côtés du Général Francis A. Behanzin, président co-fondateur du Réseau mondial des professionnels de sécurité et de défense pour la prévention et la lutte contre le terrorisme ; Un représentant de la Banque ouest-africaine de développement (BOAD) et Manasseh Nshuti, ministre d’État aux Affaires étrangères du Rwanda

Excellents échanges avec Thierry de Montbrial sur les problématiques économiques et sociales présentes au Sahel et en Afrique de l’Ouest à l’occasion de la 15e édition de la World Policy Conference.

 Entre enjeux climatiques, extrême pauvreté hors des villes et influence croissante des mouvements terroristes, le Sahel et l’Afrique de l’Ouest doivent également faire face à une gouvernance instable et à un faible niveau de formation du capital humain.

 Le #Bénin est pleinement engagé depuis 2016 pour la #formation des #jeunes et la lutte contre l’extrême pauvreté.

 Notre économie est en marche. Avec un taux de croissance de 7,2% en 2021, notre pays a aujourd’hui l’un des taux d’inflation les plus faibles d’Afrique. 🇧🇯 RW

A propos de WPC

La mission de la World Policy Conference est de contribuer à promouvoir un monde plus ouvert, plus prospère et plus juste. Fondée en 2008 par Thierry de Montbrial, président de l’Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri), la WPC offre « un espace de réflexion et de dialogue essentiel autour des grands enjeux de la gouvernance mondiale, tout en permettant à ses participants de développer des liens durables ».

Par Judicaël Zohoun.

Lire l’article sur 24 Heures au Bénin.

 

جدد وزير الخارجية الأمير فيصل بن فرحان التأكيد على موقف المملكة الثابت بشأن القضية الفلسطينية.

جاء ذلك خلال مشاركة الوزير في مؤتمر السياسات العالمية في العاصمة الإماراتية أبوظبي، وفق «الإخبارية».

ولدى سؤال الوزير بشأن اتفاقيات أبراهام قال الأمير فيصل بن فرحان: «جوابنا واضح وهو دولة فلسطينية».

وتجدد المملكة التأكيد، بشكل دائم، على موقفها الثابت بشأن القضية الفلسطينية بمختلف المحافل والفعاليات الإقليمية والدولية؛ وذلك اعتدادًا بأن تلك القضية هي القضية المركزية للعرب والمسلمين، وهي كذلك القضية الأولى للمملكة منذ تأسيسها.

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de Ajel.sa

 

شكرا لقرائتكم وزير الخارجية ردًا على سؤال بشأن اتفاقيات أبراهام: جوابنا واضح وهو دولة فلسطينية ونؤكد لكم باننا نسعى دائما لامدادكم بكل ماهو جديد وحصري والان ندخل في التفاصيل

الرياض – محمد الوسيري – أكد وزير الخارجية الأمير فيصل بن فرحان موقف المملكة الثابت بشأن القضية الفلسطينية، وذلك خلال رده على سؤال بشأن اتفاقيات أبراهام.

جاء ذلك خلال مشاركة وزير الخارجية في مؤتمر السياسات العالمية في العاصمة الإماراتية أبوظبي.

دولة فلسطينية

وحسب مقطع فيديو نشرته قناة “الإخبارية”، ردّ الأمير فيصل بن فرحان على سؤال حول “اتفاقيات أبراهام”، قائلًا “ما السؤال؟”، ليجيب عليه المحاور “ما الجواب؟”.

وعليه، أكد وزير الخارجية الأمير فيصل بن فرحان: “جوابنا واضح وهو دولة فلسطينية”.

دعم دائم

ودائمًا ما تجدد المملكة التأكيد على موقفها الثابت بشأن القضية الفلسطينية بمختلف المحافل والفعاليات الإقليمية والدولية، حيث لا تزال القضية الأولى للمملكة.

وتشير المملكة أيضًا إلى أنها لم ولن تتوانى في دعم الشعب الفلسطيني الشقيق بجميع الطرق والوسائل لاستعادة حقوقه المشروعة، وإقامة دولته الفلسطينية المستقلة بكامل السيادة على الأراضي الفلسطينية بحدود عام 1967 وعاصمتها القدس الشرقية.

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de Alkhaleej365.

 

11 December, 2022

9 December, 2022

 

COP28 must target ‘equitable’ energy transition: UAE

Next year’s UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirates must work towards a just and equitable energy transition, the host country, seeking a gradual move from fossil fuels, said Friday.

The UAE is one of the world’s biggest oil producers.

It wants to “bring diverse and different thoughts to the table from all around the world and in particular the countries of the global south”, said Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy.

“How we manage to deal with a just energy transition by also ensuring prosperity and stability for people around the world, how we manage to do that in a manner that’s equitable” is the issue, she told the World Policy Conference of political, business, academic and other leaders in Abu Dhabi.

In an interview with AFP in July, the UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri insisted the world is “not ready” to switch from hydrocarbons, despite the havoc being unleashed by global warming.

Sharply higher fuel costs triggered by sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine prompted Western countries to demand higher oil production this year, Almheiri pointed out at the time.

Al Hashimy said the UAE-hosted COP should discuss the climate challenge and energy transition “in light of new geopolitical rivalries that could jeopardise international cooperation”.

The international community largely agrees that climate change poses an existential threat to the planet and future of mankind. But action to cut carbon pollution and prepare for the accelerating impact is lagging.

Last month, the COP27 summit in Egypt agreed to establish a fund to compensate poorer countries already devastated by the fallout from global warming.

However, it failed to push ahead on further cutting emissions to keep alive the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.

Having diversified its economy over the decades, the UAE relies less and less on oil, whose revenues now make up 30 percent of GDP.

But the Gulf state forecasts that the oil and gas industry would need to invest more than $600 billion every year until 2030 just to keep up with expected demand.

At the same time, the UAE is spending billions to develop enough renewable energy to cover half of its needs by 2050, and it is targeting net-zero domestic carbon emissions by that year.

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de ALARABIYA.

 

11 December, 2022

UAE asks state entities to buy local in food security push: Minister Mariam Al Mheiri

The United Arab Emirates has directed government entities such as the armed forces and hospital authorities to buy locally grown produce to support agri-tech efforts in the desert country, the minister of climate change and environment said on Sunday.

The UAE, which imports 90 percent of its food, took the decision at an annual government meeting last month to support local production while continuing to embrace open trade policy, Mariam Al Mheiri told the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi.

“We want to let the trade keep going, but where you have hands on your procurement and what you can buy, this is where you can encourage that a certain percentage of certain food items are bought locally,” she said, without providing details.

The Gulf Arab oil producer, which will host the COP28 climate conference next year, is making a big push on food security in the region and beyond.

At home, Mheiri noted that an Abu Dhabi accelerator program has invested more than $150 million to attract agri-tech companies to operate in the UAE, which faces water scarcity and has little arable land.

Among initiatives is a vertical farm producing leafy greens under a joint venture between Emirates Flight Catering and US-based Crop One. Vertical farming uses a series of stacked levels to produce crops.

The Emirati minister said berries, salmon, and quinoa were also being farmed in the UAE, and that the country has ambitions to grow grains in closed-system farms where water is recycled.

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de ALARABIYA.

December 11, 2022

Saudi FM: ‘All bets off’ if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan speaking in an on-stage interview at the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. (Screen grab)

ABU DHABI — Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan said that the failure in concluding a nuclear agreement with Iran will enter the region into a very dangerous phase.

In an on-stage interview at the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, Prince Faisal said that Iran’s Gulf Arab neighbors would act to shore up their security if Tehran were to obtain nuclear weapons.

“If Iran gets an operational nuclear weapon, all bets are off,” the minister said when asked about such a scenario.

“We are in a very dangerous space in the region and you can expect that regional states will certainly look towards how they can ensure their own security.”

The minister’s reaction came at a time when Iran’s nuclear talks have stalled with Western powers, who in turn accused Tehran of raising unreasonable demands.

[…]

Lire l’article sur le site de la Saudi Gazette.

13.01.2023

Par Hubert Coudurier.

Comment vont évoluer les relations entre la Chine et les États-Unis ? Les menaces de Xi Jinping sont-elles crédibles ? La rivalité sino-américaine était au cœur des discussions de la 15e édition de la World Policy Conference d’Abu Dhabi.

Si l’invasion de l’Ukraine par la Russie était au centre des débats de la 15e édition de la World Policy Conference d’Abu Dhabi, les participants sont revenus longuement sur la rivalité sino-américaine. Créateur, il y a quelques décennies au Quai d’Orsay, du Centre d’analyses et de prévisions (CAP), Thierry de Montbrial a réussi cette prouesse de réunir tous les ans le gratin diplomatique dans le cadre de son réputé « think tank » (littéralement « réservoir de pensée »). On y côtoie dans une atmosphère bon enfant, d’anciens ministres de toutes nationalités, des ambassadeurs en retraite, des entrepreneurs de la tech, des journalistes voire des espions reconvertis dans l’industrie d’armement.

[…]

Lire l’article sur Le Télégramme.

08.01.2023

Par Hubert Coudurier.

Tous les ans, Thierry de Montbrial, fondateur de l’Institut français des relations internationales (IFRI), organise la World Policy Conference (WPC). Elle se tenait en décembre dernier, à Abu Dhabi. Ce « Davos de la géopolitique mondiale », qui réunit quelques centaines d’initiés, a dressé des perspectives sur l’avenir de la planète.

En ouverture de cette 15e édition, Thierry de Montbrial précise avant de passer la parole à l’archevêque de Constantinople Bartholomée 1er que « dans le monde moderne, la religion importe et doit peser positivement » alors que l’instabilité internationale s’aggrave.

« Le pouvoir impérial russe a voulu soumettre l’Église à sa volonté. Moscou aspire à être la troisième Rome. C’est un élément fondamental de la division du monde orthodoxe. En URSS, la religion a été marginalisée et opprimée. L’église orthodoxe russe s’est rangée derrière Vladimir Poutine dont l’idéologie est de combattre en reprenant le caractère hérétique du tsarisme, les valeurs décadentes de l’Occident. Ce qui légitime la volonté d’expansion russe », analyse le patriarche.

« Ne pas négocier avec la Russie »

Cette tentation expansionniste russe irrite fortement les Allemands, comme en témoignent les propos vindicatifs de Peter Beyer, membre du Bundestag : « Nous ne devons pas négocier avec la Russie, nous avons été trahis. On ne s’attendait pas à une guerre conventionnelle en Europe, il a fallu opérer un changement de direction à 180 degrés. Il faut trouver une porte de sortie pour la Russie mais pas pour Poutine ».

Plus sobrement le ministre des affaires étrangères ukrainien, Dmytro Kuleba, nous lance, en visio depuis Kiev : « Chacun fait ce qu’il veut mais nous méritons d’être aidés. Poutine pense qu’il va nous briser avec l’hiver et la destruction de nos installations. C’est stupide. Nous ne nous défendons pas seulement nous-mêmes mais des valeurs. Nous nous battons du bon côté de l’Histoire ».

Pour l’ancien ministre des affaires étrangères Hubert Védrine, l’invasion de l’Ukraine nous ramène aux débuts de la Guerre froide. « Il n’y a plus de base aujourd’hui pour les idées françaises d’autonomie européenne car c’est l’Otan qui assure la défense européenne. Il faudra repenser la sécurité avec la Russie comme voisin. »

Et la rivalité sino-américaine ?

Créateur, il y a quelques décennies au Quai d’Orsay, du Centre d’analyses et de prévisions (CAP), Thierry de Montbrial a réussi cette prouesse de réunir tous les ans le gratin diplomatique dans le cadre de son réputé « think tank » (littéralement « réservoir de pensée »). On y côtoie dans une atmosphère bon enfant, d’anciens ministres de toutes nationalités, des ambassadeurs en retraite, des entrepreneurs de la tech, des journalistes voire des espions reconvertis dans l’industrie d’armement.

J’ai eu la chance de dîner à côté de Douglas Paal, un ancien de la CIA recruté à la centrale de Langley comme analyste pour l’Asie par George Bush senior et qui conseille encore aujourd’hui le président Joe Biden au Conseil National de sécurité américain. Il animait d’ailleurs une table ronde sur le sujet majeur de ces entretiens : la rivalité sino-américaine. Car l’invasion de l’Ukraine par la Russie et les menaces de la Chine sur Taïwan figuraient évidemment au centre des débats de la WPC.

Sur la crédibilité des menaces, les avis divergent même si l’enlisement de la Russie en Ukraine a rendu moins probable une attaque chinoise à court terme sur l’île nationaliste qu’on appelait jadis Formose. Wang Jisi, président de l’Institut d’études stratégiques de Pékin, temporise : « Les Européens continuent à vouloir investir en Chine et les Chinois sont ravis de toutes leurs visites ». D’autant que les Européens sont incapables de prendre une position commune sur le sujet.

Chine, Russie, États-Unis : un équilibre complexe

Jean-Pierre Cabestan, professeur émérite à l’université baptiste de Hong Kong, – où je l’avais croisé au début de la normalisation qui lui a valu une mise en garde contre sa liberté de parole – souligne : « Des pays comme le Vietnam ou Singapour sont très heureux d’avoir les Américains autour ». Sans même parler de l’allié privilégié qu’est le Japon. John Andrews, conseiller de rédaction à « The Economist », ajoute : « Je ne crois pas que Xi Jinping soit un fou mais on ne sait pas comment le traiter ».

Le soir même, l’ancien premier ministre australien Kevin Rudd, ancien numéro un d’un pays proche de la Chine avec laquelle les liens sont étroits et complexes, nous déclare en visioconférence : « Les cinq années à venir seront déterminantes pour que les États-Unis et leurs alliés dans la zone indo-pacifique construisent leur dissuasion à l’égard de la Chine afin qu’elle n’intervienne pas à Taïwan ». Tout en précisant : « Je pense que la Chine prend ses distances à l’égard de la Russie. Et l’idée que les Chinois veulent asseoir leur domination mondiale est à nuancer. C’est bien plus complexe ». Les États-Unis veulent, en effet, endiguer l’avancée technologique de la Chine et pourraient y parvenir.

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