Digital Conversations

On September 22, 2020, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) hosted a Digital Conversation titled "Great Expectations – ’Climate-Proofing’ Europe’s Foreign and Security Policy" at the Berlin Climate and Security Conference. John Kerry, former Secretary of State of the United States, was among the participants along with other senior decision-makers and experts from government, business, international organisations, NGOs, and the think tank community. The group explored how climate security can be mainstreamed into European foreign and security policy, and what other countries – close partners as well as particularly affected regions – expect from the European Union, and Germany in particular, as climate security actors.

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On July 30, 2020, the Munich Security Conference hosted a high-level digital event titled "An Update on the Nuclear Sharing Debate." In a small, confidential discussion, senior policy-makers, business leaders, and analysts exchanged views on the debate about Germany's future participation in the nuclear sharing arrangement of NATO. Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Managing Director of WestExec and former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy of the United States of America, and Katja Keul, Member of the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag for the Alliance 90/The Greens Parliamentary Group, started the event with introductory remarks. The conversation was moderated by Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference.

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On July 16, 2020, the Munich Security Conference, together with Institut Montaigne and the Royal United Services Institute hosted a high-level digital event titled “Keeping P(e)ace: Lessons from Ongoing European Military Operations.” With this event, the three institutions continued their series of joint roundtables that seeks to foster dialogue on European defense and security challenges, particularly focusing on the evolving roles of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Following the inaugural event at the Munich Security Conference 2019 and the European Defence Roundtable 2019 in London, this virtual roundtable preceded the third installment in Paris, planned for this autumn.

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On July 2, 2020, the Munich Security Conference hosted a Digital Conversation titled "Fevered Tempers – US-China-EU Relations and the Global Response to COVID-19". The virtual event brought together high-ranking European, Chinese and US experts from politics, business and academia. In a small, confidential discussion round, they exchanged views on the relations between the US, China and the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Norbert Röttgen, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, Fu Ying, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, and Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, kicked off the discussion with introductory statements.

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On June 30, 2020, the Munich Security Conference hosted a high-level digital event titled "Never Waste a Crisis. An Update on European Energy Security". The MSC thereby continued its Digital Conversations on the COVID-19 pandemic and at the same time picked up on previous discussions within its dedicated Energy Security Series. In a small, confidential discussion, senior policy-makers, business leaders, civil society representatives and analystsexchanged views on the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the energy transition in Europe, green recovery options and the future of fossil fuels. Francesco La Camera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), delivered a keynote statement at the beginning of the event. Ambassador Boris Ruge, Vice-Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, moderated the event.

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On June 29, 2020, the Munich Security Conference (MSC), together with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, hosted a high-level digital event titled “Pandemic Meltdown? An Update on Arctic Security and COVID-19”. Set up as a small, confidential format, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Ine Eriksen Søreide, discussed the geopolitical and economic consequences of COVID-19 on the Arctic region with a distinguished group of representatives from politics, the military, international organizations, academia, and the media.

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On June 15, 2020, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) hosted a Digital Conversation between high-level political, economic and academic experts from Europe, Russia and the United States. In a small, confidential discussion, the participants exchanged their views on the Russian-transatlantic relationship in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Bob Zoellick, former President of the World Bank, Kirill Dmitriev, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, and Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali, delivered short introductory remarks.

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On May 7, 2020, the MSC, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), hosted an MSC Digital Conversation entitled "A Perfect Storm? – Food Security and COVID-19". David Beasley, Executive Director of the WFP, set out the dramatic effects of COVID-19 on food security worldwide as well as priorities for action, with high-ranking representatives from governments, international organizations, the private sector, media, NGOs and academia. 

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On May 5, 2020, the MSC hosted a discussion event on disinformation and strategic communication. Around 25 European and US experts from politics, international organizations and academia participated in the virtual debate. The MSC thereby continued its series of "Digital Conversations" on the COVID-19 pandemic and at the same time picked up on previous discussions on disinformation within its Cyber Security & Technology Series.

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On April 30, 2020, the MSC, in collaboration with the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, hosted a Digital Conversation titled "Crisis within a Crisis: International Development, Security and COVID-19".  Gerd Müller, Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, discussed the effects of COVID-19 on the European neighborhood  with high-ranking representatives from international organizations, the media, NGOs, and research institutions.

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On 27 April, 2020, the MSC, in collaboration with Atlantik-Brücke and Eurasia Group, hosted a virtual event titled "A Transatlantic Conversation on the Geopolitical and Business Effects of COVID-19." Sigmar Gabriel, Chairman of Atlantik-Brücke, as well as Ian Bremmer, President of Eurasia Group, and Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the MSC, discussed the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on global trade and the international order. Selected participants from politics, think tanks, business, and the media participated in this exclusive exchange.

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On 7 April, the MSC, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, hosted a virtual Health Security Roundtable titled "Together we are less alone – Germany, Europe and COVID-19." Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute, discussed perspectives for crisis management with high-ranking representatives from the German government, NGOs and research institutions as well as leading pharmaceutical and digital companies such as Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Palantir. In an intimate atmosphere, under Chatham House Rule, the discussion included, among other topics, the role Germany and the European Union can play in further containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

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