The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session

by **claud39** Fri Feb 14, 2020 9:15 am

[size=34]The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session[/size]

14/02/2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 650

Foreign Minister Muhammad Ali Al-Hakim participated in the opening works of the Munich Conference on International Security in its 56th session to confirm the active presence of Iraq in international forums, and to express Iraq's visions and positions regarding regional and international issues of a security nature.

On the sidelines of the conference, a number of meetings are planned with his counterparts and high-ranking officials from the countries participating in the conference.

https://www.mofa.gov.iq/2020/02/?p=8666

by **claud39** Fri Feb 14, 2020 9:17 am

[size=34]The Foreign Minister and his Kuwaiti counterpart discuss strengthening the commercial and investment fields[/size]
14/02/2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session IMG_2816

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session IMG_2816

Foreign Minister Muhammad Ali al-Hakim met with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Nasser al-Muhammad al-Sabah on the sidelines of the Munich International Security Conference.

The two sides discussed ways to raise the horizons of bilateral cooperation, especially on the security side, and the Wise Minister expressed Iraq's interest in the file of Kuwaiti prisoners and missing persons.

They also discussed the importance of developing cooperation in the field of trade and investment, and encouraging Kuwaiti investors to invest in Iraq, especially following up the outputs and commitments of the Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq, and achieving more economic openness in addition to working out all the points of disagreement in a way that benefits the peoples of the two brotherly countries.

https://www.mofa.gov.iq/2020/02/?p=8672

by **claud39** Fri Feb 14, 2020 2:44 pm

Masroor Barzani thanks the United States for its role in helping the Kurdistan region

2 Hours ago

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session %D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A2

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session %D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A2

Follow-up to "liberation arenas"

The head of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masroor Barzani, met US Secretary of Energy Dan Brolett on the sidelines of the Munich International Security Conference.

During the meeting, according to a statement of the regional government, a light was shed on the latest current developments in Iraq and the region in general, and ways to enhance relations between the two sides were discussed, especially in the economic and energy sectors.

Barzani thanked the American minister for his country's role in helping the Kurdistan region, and expressed his hope that: "coordination and cooperation between the two sides will be increased."

The head of the Kurdistan Regional Government, at the head of a ministerial delegation, arrived in Munich on Thursday to attend the conference, which started today and continues until the sixteenth Sunday of this month.

http://altahreernews.com/12302/

by **claud39** Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:03 pm

[size=40]Munich Security Conference 2020[/size]

The 56th Munich Security Conference will take place from February 14 to 16, 2020 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. As in every year, Munich will again be the center of international diplomacy for a few days in 2020 and welcome leading figures from politics, science and civil society.

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190214_spaceSecurity_saal_1209_1__bd174ec9fd

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190214_spaceSecurity_saal_1209_1__bd174ec9fd

Live stream

During the 56th Munich Security Conference from February 14th to 16th, 2020, large parts of the main program can be followed via various live streams. Many streams are available with German and English settings.
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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190215_welcomeRemarks_saal_2735_1fb2f6f98b

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190215_welcomeRemarks_saal_2735_1fb2f6f98b

The MSC 2020 at a glance

Over 500 high-ranking international decision-makers will come together for the 56th Munich Security Conference. The personalities from politics, ...
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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190215_cyber_fu__rstenSalon_2372_c3be641760

agenda

The complete main program of the 56th Munich Security Conference from February 14 to 16, 2020 can be viewed here. In addition to the main program, dozens of side events and ...
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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190215_natoEngages_townhall_3089_5c4ce0c855

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190215_natoEngages_townhall_3089_5c4ce0c855

Participants

A record number of high-ranking international decision-makers is expected in Munich for the MSC 2020.
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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20200213_apocalypseNow_saal_1627_a6ab96095b

Photos and videos

Here you will find a comprehensive compilation of photos and video recordings from the Munich Security Conference 2020.
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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_Hofkirche19_f57e103656

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_Hofkirche19_f57e103656

Events for the public

In 2020, numerous events for the public will take place alongside the main program of the Munich Security Conference.
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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_header_msr2020_6b54431c53

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_header_msr2020_6b54431c53

Munich Security Report 2020

Is the world becoming less western? The Munich Security Report 2020 highlights a phenomenon we call "Westlessness".
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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_kick-off_msr16_28jan16_1355_web_ea1b6ebc71

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_kick-off_msr16_28jan16_1355_web_ea1b6ebc71

MSC kick-off

The MSC Kick-off takes place on February 10th in Berlin, introduces the topics of the upcoming conference and presents the Munich Security Report 2020.
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Ewald von Kleist Prize

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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_McCain_csm_msc52_14feb16_3475_web_97be63a929

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The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190216_konferenz_saal_4509_web_0845f3f11d

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Csm_20190216_konferenz_saal_4509_web_0845f3f11d

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by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:43 am

[size=34]Foreign Minister and his Omani Counterpart Stress Importance of Holding Meetings of Ninth Session of Joint Committee in First Quarter of 2020[/size]

15/02/2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 9DB375E6-D7F6-453D-AA94-36C6BFDBF39A

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 9DB375E6-D7F6-453D-AA94-36C6BFDBF39A

Foreign Minister Mr. Mohamad A. Alhakim met with his Omani counterpart Mr. Yusuf bin Alawi, on the sidelines of the 56th Munich Security Conference, and stressed the importance of holding the Iraqi-Omani joint committee's ninth session in the first quarter of 2020.

Minister Al-Hakim expressed Iraqi position on the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Arab Gulf, stating that Iraq is with maintaining the security and safety of navigation in the Gulf, provided that this includes all riparian states on the Gulf.

The two Ministers also stressed the importance of signing a number of memorandums of understanding in the framework of strengthening bilateral relations, including Memorandum of Understanding regarding political consultations, and Memorandum of Understanding between the foreign service institutes in both countries.

The two Ministers also discussed mutual support between the two countries in the nomination for international positions, in addition to facilitating the granting of entry visas between the two countries.

Minister Alhakim called on the Omani side to enhance prospects for cooperation in the field of investment and trade exchange between the two countries through the entry of Omani investors and businessmen to Iraq, and access to investment opportunities.

https://www.mofa.gov.iq/2020/02/?p=8706

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:45 am

[size=34]Foreign Minister meets his Armenian counterpart and confirms Iraq’s readiness to host the meetings of the third session of the Iraqi-Armenian Joint Committee[/size]

15/02/2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session C34903C6-52F2-4112-A305-C6988E1AED03-1024x768

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session C34903C6-52F2-4112-A305-C6988E1AED03-1024x768

Foreign Minister Muhammad Ali al-Hakim met with Zohrab Manatsakanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, on the sidelines of the Munich International Security Conference.
The meeting discussed ways to strengthen relations and activate bilateral cooperation in the interests of the two friendly peoples.

Minister Al-Hakim expressed Iraq’s readiness to host the meetings of the third session of the joint Iraqi-Armenian committee, and urged the Armenian side to grant entry privileges to Iraqi citizens wishing to visit the Republic of Armenia for the purpose of treatment and tourism from the border crossing points, similar to some Arab countries, to encourage trade and tourism between the two countries, calling for Armenian companies to contribute to the reconstruction of the liberated areas.

The two sides discussed the importance of expediting the signing of an agreement to exempt holders of diplomatic passports and service from the feature of entry between the two countries, and a memorandum of understanding for political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 90134B6D-17CD-43B3-87EC-08DE77911D6C-1024x768

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 90134B6D-17CD-43B3-87EC-08DE77911D6C-1024x768

https://www.mofa.gov.iq/2020/02/?p=8709

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:48 am

[size=34]The foreign minister meets his Jordanian counterpart and praises cooperation with Jordan[/size]

15/02/2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session WhatsApp-Image-2020-02-15-at-1.07.07-PM-1

Foreign Minister Muhammad Ali al-Hakim met with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi, and al-Hakim stressed Iraq’s keenness to establish strong relations with neighboring countries, to stay away from the axis policy, and to distance itself from any regional and international conflicts in the region.

Stressing the importance of moving forward in achieving the decisions of the meetings that took place between the officials of the two countries, and the tripartite summit between Iraq, Jordan and Egypt, to serve as a model for the rest of the countries of the region in how to build strategic relations based on common interests and facing the challenges of terrorism, regional crises that contribute to creating a system for peace and stability .

The two sides emphasized coordination to find common positions in international and regional forums within the Arab group, especially the issue of the central issue of the Arabs which is the Palestinian issue and recent developments in this file, in addition to Iraq’s role in managing the meetings of the League of Arab States and the frank and categorical position on rejecting any agreement that robs the Palestinian people of their rights And his land.

The two sides also touched on the importance of creating economic partnerships between the two countries to achieve economic integration, which will positively reflect on the overall bilateral relationship.

https://www.mofa.gov.iq/2020/02/?p=8714

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:50 am

[size=34]The Foreign Secretary meets the Minister of State for British Foreign Affairs[/size]

15/02/2020

Foreign Minister Muhammad Ali al-Hakim met with British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James Calverley, and the two sides discussed ways to advance bilateral relations between the two countries, and the importance of consultation on issues of common concern.

This meeting comes on the sidelines of the Munich Conference on International Security in its 56th session.

Al-Hakim expressed the aspiration of Iraq to explore prospects for cooperation with Britain, and to serve the interests of the peoples of both countries.

https://www.mofa.gov.iq/2020/02/?p=8722

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:54 am

[size=34]The Foreign Minister meets the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, where the two sides discussed the topics of the Fifth Arab-African Summit to be held in Riyadh[/size]

02/15/2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 6A25A3A7-AE29-4FD1-8116-8AA64A171E81

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 6A25A3A7-AE29-4FD1-8116-8AA64A171E81

Met with  Minister of  Foreign Affairs  Mohammed  Ali  Hakim  with  Ahmed  Aboul  Gheit ,  Secretary  General  of the League of  States  Arab,  and discussed the two sides the  role of the  League of  Arab  incubator  for the work of the  Arab  common,  and face the  challenges  that  exposed  them  states Arab .

And consult the  two sides  on the  preparations  necessary  for the convening of the  summit of  Arab  session  ( 31 ) to  be  held  in  Algeria,  also discussed the  topics  that  will be presented  at the  table  discussion  at the  summit , the  fifth  Arab, as  well as  to  discuss  the latest  developments  at the  level of the  situation  in  Libya  and the issue of the  Palestinian .

Stated  that the  meeting  on the  sidelines of the  meetings of the  Conference of the  Munich  Security  International .

The  Minister  Hakim  for the  keenness of  Iraq  to  establish  relations  firm  with the  countries of the  neighborhood,  and move away  from the  policy of axes,  and the adoption of the  policy of  distancing  self  from  any  conflicts of  regional  or  international  region,  with  emphasis  on  that  Iraq will remain  to  continue  permanently  with  his brothers , the  Arabs  and supportive  of the efforts of the  League of  Arab  and secretary  general  in  Endeavors Unifying the  Arabic word and position  .

https://www.mofa.gov.iq/2020/02/?p=8725

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 2:34 pm

[size=30]KRG PRIME MINISTER BARZANI MET WITH US SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION IN IRAQ AND THE AREA[/size]

8 Hours ago

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 152202014234EQxqrA3XUAAr5wc

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 152202014234EQxqrA3XUAAr5wc

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (left) with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) in Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2020 (Photo Credit: Secretary Pompeo's Tweeter account

SULAIMANI — Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday (February 14) in Munich’s 56th security conference to discuss the Kurdistan Region and US alliance and the situation in Iraq and the region.

The pair talked about developing the relations between Kurdistan region and the US in the sectors of economy and to cooperate in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and terrorism.
“Our American allies are a vital part of the Global Coalition in the fight to defeat ISIS once and for all,” Barzani tweeted after the meeting.

During the meeting, Barzani and Pompeo also discussed the importance of the Kurdistan Region to the area in order to stabilize the situation in Iraq and the fight against ISIS.

“Acknowledging the positive role of the Kurdistan Region in bringing peace and stability to the region, both sides stressed the need to boost military and security cooperation to combat terror threats in the region,” Barzani’s office said in a statement after the meeting.

After the meeting, Pompeo hailed the meeting as “highly productive” and thanked Barzano for “his steadfast partnership and commitment to ensuring the security of U.S. facilities and personnel in the Kurdistan Region.”

In Munich’s security conference Barzani also met with US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette to discuss further development of the economic relations, especially regarding energy.

The Munich Security Conference started on February 14 with the Kurdistan Region participating with a delegation of Prime Minister Barzani, KRG Minister of State Khalid Shwani, and Deputy Speaker of Kurdistan Parliament Hemin Hawrami.
(NRT Digital Media)

Masrour Barzani

: heavy_check_mark: @masrour_barzani

[ltr]As always @secpompeo it was great to see you. Our joint commitment to our partnership remains absolute. I’m confident of ever closer cooperation in the future. -mb #MSC2020 https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1228474190514327552 …[/ltr]

Secretary Pompeo

@SecPompeo

Productive conversation today with Prime Minister @masrour_barzani. I thanked him for his steadfast partnership and commitment to ensuring the security of U.S. facilities and personnel in the Kurdistan Region. We both agreed on the need for continued, close cooperation.

584
2:04 AM - Feb 15, 2020
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http://nrttv.com/En/News.aspx?id=19588&MapID=1

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 2:56 pm

[size=30]“THE WEST IS WINNING,” POMPEO TELLS CHINA, RUSSIA[/size]

3 Hours ago

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 1522020191740udcba

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 1522020191740udcba

SULAIMANI - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended on Saturday (February 15) his nation's global role despite misgivings in Europe, vowing that Western values would prevail over China's desire for “empire”.

Pompeo was seeking to reassure Europeans troubled by US President Donald Trump's “America first” rhetoric, ambivalence over the transatlantic NATO military alliance and tariffs on European goods.

“I'm happy to report that the death of the transatlantic alliance is grossly exaggerated. The West is winning, and we're winning together, ”he said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference, listing US steps to protect liberal democracies.

Pompeo was, in part, responding to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who on Friday accused the United States, Russia and China of stoking global mistrust.

Trump's decision to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, as well as the Paris climate accord, have undermined European assessed, while moves such as recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital have weakened European diplomacy, envoys say.

Pompeo defended the US strategy, saying Europe, Japan and other American allies were united on China, Iran and Russia, despite “tactical differences.”

He reiterated Washington's opposition to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under construction between Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea, a project backed by the government of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Citing Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, cyber threats in Iran and economic coercion by China, Pompeo said those countries were still “desiring empires” and destabilizing the rules-based international system.

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, speaking immediately after Pompeo, focused his remarks solely on China, accusing Beijing of a “nefarious strategy” through telecommunications firm Huawei.

“It is essential that we as an international community wake up to the challenges presented by Chinese manipulation of the long-standing international rules-based order,” Esper said.

He said it was not too late for Britain, which last month said it would allow Huawei a limited role in building its 5G networks, to take “two steps back,” but added he still needed to asses London's decision.

“We could have a win-win strategy if we just abide by the international rules that have been set in place for decades ... that respect human rights, that respect sovereignty,” he said.

(NRT Digital Media / Reuters)

http://nrttv.com/En/News.aspx?id=19594&MapID=4

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 3:02 pm

[size=52]The West Is Winning[/size]

SPEECH

MICHAEL R. POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE
MUNICH, GERMANY
MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE

FEBRUARY 15, 2020

https://www.state.gov/

[url=][/url]

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, good morning, everyone. It’s great to be with you all.
Foreign dignitaries, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress, who are with us here today, it’s my honor to be here this morning. It’s great to be back at the Munich Security Conference. I was just talking with some of the leaders. I’ve been here many times. I came here with Senator McCain. I came here as the CIA director. I’m also not new to Munich. If you’re looking for a good bierhalle from the late ‘80s, I can find it. (Laughter.)

This is also the third trip to Germany in just the past four months. I was in Berlin in November to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was an incredibly special trip for me, for me personally, because I had the incredible privilege to serve on freedom’s frontier from 1986 to 1989 patrolling the then East German-West German boundary during the Cold War as a young officer in the United States Army. I was just a little younger, not that much.

It was thrilling for me, I remember, to watch when freedom won, to watch people dancing on the Berlin Wall, as we all saw people who had been so cruelly separated for decades. It was an incredible celebration of freedom and of sovereignty. The people of East Berlin, and the people of East Germany, knew that the end of the Evil Empire’s occupation was at hand.

And our countries together have maintained our freedoms and our sovereignty for the past 30-plus years now. We should all be incredibly proud of that. We’ve done it through the challenges of radical Islamist terrorism, we’ve done it through a global financial crisis, and we’re doing it now in the face of an increasingly aggressive Chinese Communist Party.
But over the past few years, I’ve seen, we’ve all seen, democratic leaders questioning America’s commitment to the transatlantic alliance and America’s leadership in the world.

A few recent quotes from Western leaders. These quotes frankly surprised me.

The first was from the middle of 2017: Quote, “The fact that our friend and ally has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership, puts into sharper focus the need for the rest of us to set our own clear and sovereign course.” End of quote.

The second one is from about a year ago. It said, quote: “The multilateral order is experiencing its perhaps gravest crisis since the emergence – its emergence after the Second World War.” End of quote.

The final one was from just yesterday. A quote suggested, quote, that the United States “rejects the international community.” End of quote.

I’m here this morning to tell you the facts. Those statements simply do not affect in any significant way or reflect reality. I am happy to report that the death of the transatlantic alliance is grossly over-exaggerated.

The West is winning. We are collectively winning. We’re doing it together.

Let’s start with a simple fact: Free nations are simply more successful than any other model that’s been tried in the history of civilization. Our governments respect basic human rights, they foster economic prosperity, and they keep us all secure.

It’s why so many people risk a dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to reach Greece and Italy, but you don’t see the world’s vulnerable people risking their lives to skip illegally en masse to countries like Iran or to Cuba.

It’s why people clamor to study in Cambridge, and not Caracas.

It’s why they compete to start businesses in Silicon Valley, but not in Saint Petersburg.
It’s why countries in Asia went from abject poverty in the 1950s and ’60s to become world-leading economies today. You have all seen the map of the differences between South Korea, that light-studded map with North Korea in complete darkness.

Just look, too, just look at the winning westward path of other nations.

Vietnam has moved into our same direction since the 1980s.

I’ll head off from here to Africa. I’ll be in Ethiopia, a country working hard to reform its economy. It wants to be more like us.

Today, throughout the Western Hemisphere, we have only Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela as redoubts of authoritarianism.

Meanwhile, the United States is thriving. Our political system is free and enormously resilient. Our economy, too, is strong.

The overall unemployment rate is the lowest in more than half a century, economic growth tripping right along. The unemployment rate for women is at the lowest level in almost 70 years. Wages are rising for all income levels in the United States, including our blue-collar workers. This is the power of the Western idea.

I saw the topic for this weekend’s gathering, this idea of “Westlessness” as the core theme for this year’s conference. And I am sure, too, there are many of you who would call yourself here realists, but let me give you an idea of what’s real.

The West is winning. Freedom and democracy are winning. And by that, I don’t mean just geographical nations. The West doesn’t define a space or a piece of real state. It’s any nation – any nation that adopts a model of respect for individual freedom, free enterprise, national sovereignty. They’re part of this idea of the West.

I want to talk for a minute this morning about how sovereignty underpins our greatness collectively.

Look, we patrol our borders to keep our people safe, so that they can continue to worship, to work, and to make our countries great without disruption.

We honor the right of every nation to carry on their affairs as they choose, so long as they don’t try to interfere with our sovereignty or do harm to our friends.

Look, we urge other nations to protect human dignity, because we believe in unalienable rights.

We support independent nations. Our signature – our signature military project together is a defensive alliance.

We respect the rule of law and we honor intellectual property rights.
We don’t interfere in other nations’ elections.

As my 29-year-old son would say, “In the West, we just don’t roll that way.”

Respect for sovereignty of nations is a secret of and central to our success. The West is winning.

But now, more than 30 years since the fall of the wall, countries that don’t respect sovereignty still threaten us. Some nations still desire empire.

Let’s talk about territorial integrity, or rather, those nations that have contempt for it.
Russia has seized Crimea and parts of Eastern Ukraine and Georgia.

Iran’s missiles explode on Saudi oil facilities, and its proxy forces are present in Iraq, in Lebanon, in Syria, and in Yemen.

China. China encroaches on the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. And on that point, China has had a border or maritime dispute with nearly every nation bordering it.

And let’s talk for a second about the other realm, cybersecurity. Huawei and other Chinese state-backed tech companies are Trojan horses for Chinese intelligence. Russia’s disinformation campaigns try to turn our citizens against one another. Iranian cyberattacks plague Middle East computer networks.

We’ve talked about physical security. We’ve talked about cybersecurity. Economic coercion is at play as well.

Russia demands fealty in Central Asia.

China demands silence on Taiwan and Hong Kong so that deals will keep flowing. It exacts pieces of national infrastructure as payment when countries can’t meet its onerous loan terms.

Let’s talk, too, about respect for other countries’ political structures.

Iran is stifling today, as we sit here, stifling young Iraqis and Lebanese who want nothing more than a clean and sovereign government.

China is increasingly trying to co-opt officials at the state and local level. Our FBI director, our Attorney General, and I have all spoken about this in just the last week. They’re trying to affect not only our federal level but our state and local officials as well. And this is happening all across Europe and, indeed, all across the world.

Look, this matters. This matters because assaults on sovereignty destabilize. Assaults on sovereignty impoverish. Assaults on sovereignty enslave. Assaults on sovereignty are, indeed, assaults on the very freedom that anchors the Western ideal.

But here’s the good news, and there’s a lot of it.

The United States has stared and will continue to stare these dangerous threats in the face, and we will not blink. We’re protecting our citizens. We’re protecting our freedoms. We’re protecting our sovereign right to choose how it is that we live.

The United States has worked diligently to deprive the Islamic Republic of Iran of diplomatic sanctuary and financial ability to fuel its campaigns of terror – both in the Middle East and right here in Europe.

The United States has woken up to the world where China’s unfair trading practices impact us, the Chinese Communist Party’s newly aggressive turn, and its military and diplomatic efforts that confront.

The United States has armed Ukraine to help that brave nation defend itself from the Russian aggression and has worked with Baltic nations on cybersecurity to defend against Moscow’s repeated cyberattacks.

And as a brand new statement today of our support for sovereignty, prosperity, and energy independence of our European friends, today I want to announce that through the International Development Finance Corporation, and with the support of our United States Congress, we intend to provide up to $1 billion in financing to Central and Eastern European countries of the Three Seas Initiative. Our aim is quite simple: It is to galvanize private sector investment in the energy sector to protect freedom and democracy around the world.

Now, I would ask you, as I go back to where I began: Are these actions, these American actions, are they consistent with the claim that America “has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership?”

Consider, too, what we’ve done alongside each of you, what we’ve done to support NATO in particular.

The United States has urged NATO on to $400 billion in new pledges. We did this because our nations are safer when we work together and when we field the strongest forces and capabilities.

The United States has, too – with our Allies – undertaken the most significant reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank since the Cold War.

The United States has restored credibility to arms control when we withdrew from the INF Treaty – with unanimous NATO support – after Russia repeatedly violated its terms.

These are just a few signature efforts of American leadership with our partners. We always work to bring allies and partners on board with everything that it is that we do.

We’re leading, for example, Defender Europe 20, an exercise alongside NATO Allies – the largest deployment of U.S.-based forces to Europe in more than 25 years.

The United States has marshalled nations to help us protect the waterways of the Straits of Hormuz and to defend freedom of navigation throughout the South China Sea.

The United States, too, has worked with international sanctions, global sanctions, to prevent North Korea from continuing to develop its nuclear weapons program, and we’ve worked to bring Pyongyang consistently back to the negotiating table.

We’ve led 81 nations in the global fight to defeat the ISIS caliphate. We took out al-Baghdadi. We took out the leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula just this past month.
Is this an America that “rejects the international community?”

And – I know of particular concern in this room – we’ve pursued the mission of protecting sovereignty in the multilateral context.

A few examples:

The United States has supported the Organization of American States in its efforts to revive institutions to go back to its mandate and improve its effectiveness.

We’re leading a 59-nation coalition to oust Maduro and honor the will of the Venezuelan people.

The United States is leading on the environment as well. The International Energy Agency’s latest global emissions report from just these past few weeks found that America’s energy-related CO2 emissions declined by 2.9 percent in 2019, in spite of significant economic growth.

The United States has convinced the C5+1 to bolster Central Asian nations’ sovereignty against Russian hegemony and Chinese economic pressure.

The United States, too, has warned the Arctic Council about Russian and Chinese designs to exploit the Arctic for unfair gain – something I know we care about collectively.

So let’s be straight-up.

The United States is out there fighting alongside you for sovereignty and freedom.
We should have confidence in our alliances and our friends.

The free West has a far brighter future than illiberal alternatives.
We’re winning – and we’re doing it together.

Momentum is clearly on our side. We’ve got to do more.

Don’t be fooled. Don’t be fooled by those who say otherwise.

When so-called Iranian moderates play the victim, remember their assassination and terror campaigns against innocent Iranian civilians and right here on European soil itself.

When Russia suggests that Nord Stream 2 is purely a commercial endeavor, don’t be fooled. Consider the deprivations caused in the winters of 2006 and 2008 and 2009 and 2015.

When Huawei executives show up at your door, they say you’ll lose out if you don’t buy in. Don’t believe the hype.

Look, I know it’s not without cost to be courageous, to stand up for our sovereignty. I get it.

But it’s never been the case that this was free.

Name me a moment in history when the weak and the meek have prevailed.

I’m confident. I’m confident in you all. I’m confident in us together. I’m confident that the West will win.

You know, just 15 days ago I was in Kyiv, Ukraine. I visited a hospital where Ukrainian service members who had been injured in the conflict, who had been wounded in the fight against Russian-backed aggression, were being convalesced. There was a young, brave warrior there – we had a conversation – who had sustained a serious injury and he was in significant pain. We spoke for a few moments. He, through the translator, told me that he was a captain. I reminded him that several decades ago I, too, was a captain.

And as we were getting ready to leave, he got up. He grabbed his crutches. He moved across the room and he went to his wall locker, grabbed his uniform, pulled off his patch, and he handed me his unit logo. He told me to keep it; he wanted me to have it.

That moment hit home for me. It reminded me that sovereignty is worth fighting for and that it’s real, that we’re all in this fight together.

Let’s keep at it. Let’s keep winning.

May God bless you all, and may God bless the free world and the United States of America.

Thank you all for being with me this morning. (Applause.)

https://www.state.gov/the-west-is-winning/

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 3:13 pm

[size=52]Background Briefing with Senior State Department Officials on the Munich Security Conference[/size]
SPECIAL BRIEFING
[size=14]OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
BAYERISCHER HOF
MUNICH, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 15, 2020[/size]

MODERATOR: Okay, we’ll do this on background. This is the last one of the day. The Secretary speaks at 9:30. So I asked [Senior State Department Official] just to give an overview of the meetings he’s had – we’ve been in several of them together – what he feels like he’s accomplished. And I think – I know, Joel, you had a couple Europe questions yesterday which inspired this backgrounder.
So do you want to open with anything? And then we can just jump in.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: No, just to say I’ve been to a number of these Munich Security Conferences. This is the third one in a row, and then it was certainly used prior. It’s a useful forum, of course, for the kind of multilats, some would say diplomatic speed dating, that lets you deal with a lot of things, not just transatlantic European issues but really in a global context.
And of course, that’s what most of our conversations with the Europeans have been certainly in the bilats the Secretary has had here. You’re familiar with his schedule. And President Maas he’s in touch with regularly. They had a very good bilat yesterday that included Maas but as well as his advisors, Jens Ploetner, who has been to Tehran recently, so they were able to cover the big areas that they deal with.
A lot of interest in Afghanistan, of course, certainly where things are going with Iraq, the NATO look at what more can NATO do in the Middle East in terms of the Iraq mission and other things. That’s made a lot of progress. You probably saw the statements out of the defense ministerial, of course, prior to the Munich Security Conference.
And similar conversations with the Czechs and the Croatians – foreign ministers – with whom the Secretary met. The Croatians, of course, presidency of the European Council of this semester, the first time for them, and that actually the foreign minister started out by talking about the context of that and said who would have believed 30 years ago that we, Croatia, would be a member of NATO, a member of the European Union, and hold the presidency of the European Council, and thanked the United States for all our support in going through that.
Since we talk about Croatia, this brings us to Balkans, which has actually been a fairly robust topic here, and I’ve had a number of bilats and a couple more to go today. I saw President Vucic of Serbia, and then I saw Dukanovic of Montenegro, and I’ll see President Thaci of Kosovo and the new prime minister, Albin Kurti, of Kosovo later today.
We had a big roundtable last night that was put together by the Munich Security Conference and the East-West Center on Balkans, and it was remarkable to see just what the – the sort of stampede to get into it was, probably about eight heads of state or government, foreign ministers, as well as a big crowd. So still a lot of focus on the Balkans.
And it was interesting, again, just to personalize the context, they talked about Rambouillet, which, of course, was the French-sponsored peace conference that the Contact Group and Quint participated in to try to prevent the Kosovo war that ultimately ended up in a NATO air campaign. That was 21 years ago, also over Valentine’s Day, so I said I feel like my life has come full circle.
But the U.S. engagement there, despite some of the usual, “Oh, the U.S. has pulled out of engaging in multilateral fora,” it’s a great case study. Because I – before the position on what do you base that? We’re the only country that has major missions, assistance programs, military engagement if you look at KFOR, throughout the Western Balkans. We have not one but two special envoys, Special Presidential Envoy Ambassador Grenell, who is focusing on the Serbia-Kosovo peace, and the Secretary’s Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matt Palmer, who is engaging with his counterparts.
So why don’t I let you go to your questions and what you’re particularly focused on today.
MODERATOR: Joel.
QUESTION: Two. Starting with the French, Macron gave a speech last week where he mentioned that our norms cannot be controlled by the United States, to build the Europe of tomorrow our norms cannot controlled by the United States. Of course, he mentioned then also China and Russia.
But what are you seeing from him and what are you hearing around the conference about the French trying to lead Europe in some sort of different strategic direction perhaps post-(inaudible), (inaudible) post-Brexit? Is that causing any friction between the U.S. and France in terms of strategic cooperation?
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I can’t say France has come up in any of the bilateral meetings that I’ve participated in. So that’s a simple answer to that. This conference is also useful for some people to get headlines. That’s what they’re looking for. That’s what you’re looking for. I’m going to go to Paris from here and actually have a number of talks with the French and maybe understand what it is they’re trying to get out in statements like that.
(Interruption.)
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: That wasn’t me.
MODERATOR: Somebody note for the transcript. Go ahead, Nick.
QUESTION: On the Balkans issue, do you have a sense of timing for when these – the rail and road and rail links would resume? It still seems like – it seems like signing these agreements but relations between Serbia and Kosovo are obviously still extremely frosty and there’s been no timeline on when that would happen. It still seems like there are a lot of conditions that would need to be met for those links to actually open up. So do you have a sense of timing?
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I don’t want to offer any timelines. I don’t know if anybody has a real sense. Some of it has to do with the actual logistics and infrastructure questions to make things like that happen.
I think what’s key here and I know what Rick Grenell has focused on is getting the two sides together to talk about things that avoid the neuralgia, the history, that focus on the practical steps that can actually improve people’s lives, citizens in both Serbia and Kosovo through trade, through commerce, job creation, links. One of the things in the Balkans that’s always been a challenge is transport links, and you look at Serbia, which has tried to focus on their own infrastructure. You’ve got Bechtel, frankly, that happens to be a U.S. company that’s undertaking a major highway project there. They’ve done things in Kosovo. Now it’s just to connect those to facilitate trade and movement.
The Balkan – Western Balkan countries, as you know, have been talking about something they refer to as the “Mini Schengen,” which is to kind of open borders and facilitate movement among – in and among those countries, sort of doing the kinds of things that – among each other that they want to do with Europe as part of their European Union membership aspirations. So I think there’s some interesting steps there, and it’s actually great to see these guys sit down and focus on things where they don’t get caught up in the media arguments of history and the perils of identity politics. Instead, they’re looking at real things that matter to real people.
QUESTION: [Senior State Department Official], I imagine that the Secretary will probably in his speech at least touch on Huawei and 5G, that kind of thing. But —
MODERATOR: No, we don’t.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: No, actually, we don’t.
QUESTION: Oh, you don’t?
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: No.
MODERATOR: We’ll probably – oops.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: I mean, he’s been talking about it for a year and a half, so —
QUESTION: Well, I know. All right.
MODERATOR: I’m sure he will —
QUESTION: Well, so I imagine the Secretary won’t mention 5G – (laughter) – but he has been harping on it ad nauseum on every trip that he’s been on recently. So I’m just curious —
MODERATOR: As did Speaker Pelosi yesterday.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: I don’t know if I’d say harping. I’d say issuing warnings to people we care about.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Yeah. I mean, the theme —
QUESTION: Okay.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: All right, ask your question and then I can tell you (inaudible).
QUESTION: Has it come up in your conversations? And because of the British decision, obviously, that happened just before we were in London – when was that —
MODERATOR: Three weeks ago?
QUESTION: A month? And then the EU, the EC – the Germans seems to be going ahead with their kind of version of the British thing. What about the rest of Europe? And then is this coming up in your conversations?
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: It certainly comes up a bit, and even in the Balkans where there is concern there amongst leaders and observers of the Western Balkans in the influence China can have, because we know they offer cheap money. And it’s enticing to countries that need investment and infrastructure, but it comes at a price, and the Secretary has underscored that. The perhaps most interesting conversation was with the Czech foreign minister, and the Czechs, as you know, have been very forward-leaning on this, hosting the 5G conference.
QUESTION: I’m sorry. This is yesterday?
MODERATOR: Yes. Last night.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Last evening.
MODERATOR: It was their last one. It was a very good conversation.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Yeah, it was the last – it was a very good conversation. He’s a really (inaudible).
QUESTION: So they are receptive to your – to the message?
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Very much. And they understand the concerns. And if you just look into the facts of Prague-Beijing conversations recently, you’ll see the Chinese have responded to the Czechs’ focus, their concerns about IT infrastructure, about privacy issues, and what it means. And they’ve really stood up to this and taken a real leadership role, and I think they are scheduled – in fact, you mentioned a sort of round two of their conference that focuses on these things.
QUESTION: Okay. That was the only one that you were involved in that —
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I think it’s come up in every meeting I’ve been in. Perhaps with the Germans —
MODERATOR: I think that the Secretary has brought it up in every single meeting I’ve been in with him that I can remember for the past six months, and I’m not being facetious.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: No, I’d agree.
MODERATOR: I almost can’t remember – [Senior State Department Official Two], can you remember a meeting you’ve been in with him where he didn’t bring it up, even if it’s not a major topic, it’s a discussion point?
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: As far as I can recall, in every meeting I’ve been in, at least in the past six months, if not longer.
MODERATOR: Okay. Abbie.
QUESTION: I know this isn’t your specialty, but I wondered if there were any (inaudible) if there was any discussion with European members of the JCPOA about the next steps in the dispute resolution mechanism and where that’s headed.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We certainly have talked Iran and the continuing challenges of their behavior. I don’t think any of the conversations I was in got into specifics of that. As I said, Ploetner, the German, kind of my – one of my German counterparts, had been in Tehran.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: Just to say these things normally, when you come to one of these and there’s tons of bilats, you end up kind of talking about the same thing in a lot of the meetings. It’s been very – as a theme, China and Afghanistan, Iran, Middle East peace plan have been touched on in most of the meetings that we were in, but as sort of a – the broader themes of the discussion in the bilats have been China and Afghanistan.
QUESTION: Can you expand upon what concerns were expressed or support was expressed in Europe for what is happening with Afghanistan right now or working with the Taliban?
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: So a lot of great interest in that. Zal, of course, has been around and briefing as well. Kind of – certainly those in the coalition are very interested in how this goes, I think appreciated very much the chance to actually sit down with the Secretary and hear him go through where we are. And everybody joins in the uncertainty about all this, but certainly it’s a case study in where we’ve tried to use diplomacy to see where we can move things.
Military decisions are going to be taken on the basis of where we are, and I think everybody is restrained in their expectations. But that’s the – the magic of this is we keep trying to move forward and look for opportunities, really opportunities for the Afghans to come together, and hopefully that will be the next stage. We bring the violence down – this hope – and see what comes next.
QUESTION: Last night, [a senior State Department official] warned that Europe is on the verge of another major refugee crisis as a result of what’s going on in Idlib and on the Turkish border. So I’m just wondering if you’ve had any conversations with the Europeans how they’re planning to manage that, especially given the political climate in Germany on that issue.
SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We haven’t gotten into any specifics of that. I think that always hangs over as one of the great concerns is and why we focus on and why our Europeans partners are interested in Syria, in Libya for that matter. A great deal of interest on the part of not just the Germans, I think of (inaudible) but certainly the Italians and others (inaudible). But it hasn’t come up in terms of actual logistics, dynamics, planning, and focused on (inaudible).

https://www.state.gov/background-briefing-with-senior-state-department-officials-on-the-munich-security-conference/

by **claud39** Sat Feb 15, 2020 3:19 pm

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SPEECH

Remarks by Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper at the Munich Security Conference

FEB. 15, 2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 190620-A-SS368-0004

Good morning, it’s a pleasure to be with you today.
I want to thank the Munich Security Conference for inviting me to speak today.
I can see that the event has grown considerably in size and scope since I was last here, which is a testament to the leadership of Ambassador Ischinger (Ish-shing-jer) and his team.
I’d like to speak to you today about the number one priority of the United States Department of Defense: implementing the National Defense Strategy.
The NDS states that we are now in an era of Great Power Competition, with our principal challengers being China, then Russia, and that we must move away from low intensity conflict and prepare once again for high-intensity warfare.
At the same time, it recognizes that our second tier priorities are rogue states such as North Korea and Iran.
And finally, dealing with Violent Extremist Organizations will likely be an enduring threat for years to come.
Being in Europe, I know that there has been much discussion about the challenges from Russia, so this morning I want to focus on the Pentagon’s top concern: the People’s Republic of China.
Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of a decision that fundamentally altered the course of international affairs: China’s admission into the World Trade Organization.
I was working in the United States Senate at the time, and two competing arguments over China’s membership dominated the public debate.
The prevailing notion of the day was that, if we allowed the PRC into the WTO and other multilateral institutions, China would continue on its path of economic reform and eventually become a market-oriented trading partner.
More broadly, increased engagement with the liberal world order would also spur political opening and help transform the PRC into a responsible global stakeholder.
The more skeptical voices argued that, if granted membership, China would use the benefits of free trade and an open international order to grow its economy and access the technology required to build a strong military and security state capable of expanding the reach of their authoritarian rule.
These were both credible arguments, but we all know which one is winning right now.
It's not the former.
In fact, under President Xi’s rule, the Chinese Communist Party is heading even faster and further in the wrong direction – more internal repression, more predatory economic practices, more heavy-handedness, and most concerning for me, a more aggressive military posture.
It is essential that we – as an international community – wake up to the challenges presented by China’s manipulation of the long-standing international, rules-based order that has benefited all of us for many decades.
The Communist Party and its associated organs, including the People’s Liberation Army, are increasingly operating in theaters outside its borders, including Europe, and seeking advantage by any means, and at any cost.
Let me state up front, though, the United States does not seek conflict with China.
In fact, we look for areas of cooperation when our interests converge in the hope that they will choose the other path they didn’t take twenty years ago.
Just look at the nearly 18 tons of medical supplies the United States recently provided to the PRC to help fight the coronavirus.
And last week, we announced more than $100 million in assistance to China and other countries affected by that virus.
The world is too interconnected for us not to work together to solve some of our toughest problems.
However, to be a responsible member of the international community, China must be transparent and respect the sovereignty, freedom, and rights of all nations.
Unfortunately, their current behavior leaves great cause for concern.
The United States’ National Defense Strategy recognizes this critical challenge as we adapt and prepare our force to deal with China in this new era of great power competition.
The PRC’s growing economic, military, and diplomatic power often manifests itself in ways that are threatening, coercive, and counter to the rules-based international order.
Over time, we have watched them seize and militarize islands in the South China Sea, and rapidly modernize their armed forces, while seeking to use emerging technologies to alter the landscape of power and reshape the world in their favor ….and often at the expense of others.
I continue to stress to my friends in Europe – and just this past week again at the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels – that America’s concerns about Beijing’s commercial and military expansion should be their concerns as well.
This September will mark the 75th commemoration of the end of World War II, and the birth of the international rules-based order that has supported security and prosperity across the globe.
The United States, our NATO allies, and partners across the Indo-Pacific have sacrificed blood and treasure over the decades to protect and preserve it.
Yet, the PRC seeks to undermine and subvert this system, the same one that allowed them to rise and become what they are today.
As we speak, Communist China is exerting financial and political pressure, publicly and privately, on many Indo-Pacific and European nations – large and small – while pursuing new strategic relationships worldwide.
In fact, the smaller the country, the heavier the hand of Beijing.
Through its Belt and Road Initiative, for example, the PRC is leveraging its overseas investments to force other nations into sub-optimal security decisions.
This has wide-reaching ramifications for the United States and our allies in critical areas like data security, interoperability, and military readiness.
While we often doubt the transparency and forthrightness of Beijing, when it comes to their security aims, we should take the Chinese government at its word.

By 2035, the PRC intends to complete its military modernization,
And, by 2049, it seeks to dominate Asia as the preeminent global military power.

Furthermore, the global community should be deeply concerned about the Party’s use of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies to surveil and repress Muslim minorities, journalists, and pro-democracy protestors.
To make matters worse, the government is now exporting these tools worldwide in a manner that could bolster other authoritarian regimes.
China’s rapid ascent has stirred much debate over the primacy of the United States and the West in the 21st century.
I understand this topic is part of this year’s Munich Security Conference report.
China’s growth over the years has been remarkable, but in many ways it is fueled by theft, coercion, and exploitation of free market economies, private companies, and colleges and universities.
American and European institutions and corporations face the brunt of these malign activities, and we have seen a multitude of examples where our economies and companies have suffered as a result.
But Beijing’s bad behavior will only take them so far.
The world is increasingly aware of its motives – and responding in turn.
Regrettably, rather than change course, Party leadership continues its rampant technology theft, while resolving to eventually end its reliance on foreign innovation altogether, independently develop its own systems, and then dominate critical sectors and markets.
Huawei and 5G are today’s poster child for this nefarious activity.
History has proven time and again, though, that authoritarianism breeds corruption, promotes conformity, smothers free thinking, and suppresses freedom.
In stark contrast to this are our values, sense of fairness, and culture of opportunity, which encourage disruption and unleash the very best of human intellect, spirit, and innovation.
This is why it is critical that, together, we directly and unambiguously, address Beijing’s actions and intentions, so that we are never intimidated, duped, or pushed into bad security, economic, or political choices.
And maybe, just maybe, we can get them on the right path.
Again, make no mistake, we do not seek conflict with China.
That’s not what we want; not at all. Rather, we seek fair and open competition in the economic realm.
And in general, we simply ask of Beijing what we ask of every nation: to play by the rules, abide by international norms, and respect the rights and sovereignty of others.
To restore an equal footing, the Department of Defense is doing its share.
We are focused on deterring bad behavior, reassuring our friends and allies, and defending the global commons.
And to maintain the peace, through strength, we are implementing the United States’ National Defense Strategy.
As part of this strategy, we are doing our part to safeguard American innovation and reinvigorate our industrial base.
Thanks to our largest Research and Development budget in 70 years, we are investing in cutting-edge technologies and accelerating the modernization of our force, while at the same time, divesting from legacy systems and re-investing those savings into hypersonic missiles, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and other game-changing technologies.
Unlike China and others, we will use these advanced capabilities to help keep the peace, promote prosperity, ensure security, and protect the sovereignty of all freedom-loving countries.
For example, while Beijing uses artificial intelligence to tighten its grip over its people, the Department of Defense has established well-regarded principles for the lawful and ethical use of AI.
While the PRC develops and deploys long-range fires to intimidate and threaten its neighbors, we are investing in both conventional and advanced missile defense capabilities to protect the homeland, our interests, and our allies.
And while Communist China is weaponizing the space domain through the development of directed-energy weapons and killer satellites, the Pentagon is standing up its first new military service in over 70 years – the United States Space Force – to ensure freedom of use, commerce and navigation in, to, and through space, for all.
Simply put, the contrast between China’s malevolent actions and United States’ leadership couldn’t be more obvious.
At the same time, we are protecting these high-tech breakthroughs from theft and exploitation by strengthening our foreign investment laws, supply chains, export controls, university-based research, and cyber defenses – all of which have been longstanding attack points of the Chinese government.
We are encouraged that our allies and partners are beginning to take similar actions, as they thoroughly assess the long-term threats and challenges posed by China.
Among these concerns is a dependence on emerging technologies that could inject serious risk into our defense cooperation.
Reliance on Chinese 5G vendors, for example, could render our partners’ critical systems vulnerable to disruption, manipulation, and espionage.
It could also jeopardize our communication and intelligence sharing capabilities, and by extension, our alliances.
To counter this, we are encouraging allied and U.S. tech companies to develop alternative 5G solutions, and we are working alongside them to test these technologies at our military bases as we speak.
In the long run, developing our own secure 5G networks will far outweigh any perceived gains from partnering with heavily subsidized Chinese providers that ultimately answer to Party leadership.
In short: let’s be smart; let’s learn from the past; and let’s get 5G right so we don’t regret our decisions later.
The reality of the 21st century is that many economic decisions are also national security decisions.
We are not asking our partners to reject engagement with China; just the opposite.
We want you to show them the right path, and nudge them down it.
In the meantime, though, we ARE asking our friends to clearly choose a global system that supports democracy, protects human rights, and safeguards our greatest asymmetric advantages: our values, our shared interests, and our unmatched network of alliances and partnerships.
We feel that the choice is clear, but recognize it may be tough; that the economic challenges may take a toll in the short run; but our collective future may hang in the balance if we fail to make the hard choices now for the long run.
The United States does not want an adversarial relationship with China.
It is a great country with an extraordinary history, a rich culture, and a wonderful people.
Rather, we want China to behave like a normal country that adheres to the international rules and order that generations before us have fought hard to protect and preserve.
And that means the Chinese government needs to change its policies and behaviors.
If the PRC will not change its ways, then defending this system must be our collective priority.
We can only do this by making greater investments in our common defense; by making the hard economic and commercial choices needed to prioritize our shared security; and by working together to maintain a ready and capable alliance network that is prepared to deter any threat, defend any Ally, and defeat any foe.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your questions.

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Speeches/Speech/Article/2085577/remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-mark-t-esper-at-the-munich-security-conference/

by **claud39** Sun Feb 16, 2020 9:00 am

[size=34]The Foreign Minister discusses with his Egyptian counterpart coordination of positions and mutual support in international forums[/size]

16/02/2020

Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Al-Hakim met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on the sidelines of the Munich International Security Conference / Session (56).

The two sides discussed the importance of activating security and intelligence cooperation, and exchanging information between the two countries in the field of combating terrorism.

It was stressed the need to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries through the intensification of visits, coordination of positions and mutual support for assuming regional and international positions. The two sides also agreed on the importance of expediting the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding of mutual interest.

https://www.mofa.gov.iq/2020/02/?p=8771

by **claud39** Sun Feb 16, 2020 1:11 pm

Iraq and Egypt stress the importance of activating security and intelligence cooperation to combat terrorism

16-02-2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Image

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session Image

Baghdad / news

Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Al-Hakim discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry the importance of activating security and intelligence cooperation to combat terrorism.

A statement on the Al-Hakim office received by Al-Akhbariya said that the latter "met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on the sidelines of the Munich International Security Conference / Session (56)."

He added that "the two sides discussed the importance of activating security and intelligence cooperation, and the exchange of information between the two countries in the field of combating terrorism."

He added, "It was stressed the need to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries through the intensification of visits, coordination of positions, and mutual support for assuming regional and international positions. The two sides also agreed on the importance of expediting the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding that concern both countries."

https://www.ikhnews.com/index.php?page=article&id=209203

by **claud39** Sun Feb 16, 2020 1:35 pm

Iran's foreign minister meets his Iraqi counterpart on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference

February 16, 2020

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 3384166

The Foreign Minister participates in the opening of the Munich International Security Conference in its 56th session 3384166

Iranian Foreign Minister "Mohammad Javad Zarif" met today, Sunday, his Iraqi counterpart, "Muhammad Ali al-Hakim" on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

Zarif and Al-Hakim discussed in this meeting means of developing bilateral relations and the most important developments on the regional and international arenas.

Zarif had previously met with the head of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Masroor Barzani.

The Iranian foreign minister arrived last Thursday evening in Munich and held a number of meetings with a number of participants in this conference, where he met the Prime Minister of Canada, and the foreign ministers of China, Russia, Germany, France, Japan, Oman, Koratia, Finland, the Czech Republic, Vatican, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine and Spain.

Zarif, the Druze Group, members of the European Union's Council on Foreign Relations and the Crisis Management Group also met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The work of the Munich Security Conference began in its 56th edition yesterday, Friday, and will last for three days.

The conference will discuss security and foreign policy issues in addition to a number of developments in the global landscape.

More than 500 people will participate in this year's session, including heads of state, heads of government, defense and foreign ministers, and senior leaders.

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