MSC hosts Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, DC (May 5-7, 2025)

The new US administration has set major shifts in US foreign and security policy in motion – including some that put significant pressure on Europe. This has jolted European leaders into renewed readiness to take some difficult decisions, many long overdue. However, it has also given rise to doubts about US commitment to mutual security and shared strategic interests with its transatlantic partners.  

For more than six decades, strengthening the transatlantic partnership has been at the heart of the Munich Security Conference’s mission. Since 2009, the MSC has hosted high-level transatlantic gatherings in Washington, DC, always shortly after the inauguration of a new US administration.  

This year’s Munich Leaders Meeting again provides senior decision-makers from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond with a timely and informal platform to address current frictions and identify joint policy priorities, building on the Munich Security Conference in February.  

Transatlantic differences on policy and regional challenges are substantial. However, so are enduring common security and economic interests. With a focus on strengthening the “basics” of the transatlantic partnership, the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, DC, aims to drive discussion on a future-proof and results-oriented joint agenda. In particular, participants will discuss opportunities and obstacles for transatlantic cooperation in areas such as security and defense, economics and trade, energy, and technology.  

Benedikt Franke, Vice-Chair and CEO of the Munich Security Conference: “In times like these, it is more important than ever to speak openly with one another. The Munich Security Conference has always been a platform where even difficult or uncomfortable questions can be discussed. Our Munich Leaders Meeting offers the perfect opportunity for urgently needed transatlantic debates on security policy.”

For its Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, DC, the MSC works with a variety of organizations from the US and beyond. The event is supported by the Boston Consulting Group and BMW. 

On the sideline of the Munich Leader Meeting the MSC will inaugurate its new office in Washington, DC. With this permanent presence, the MSC seeks to further strengthen its transatlantic roots.

Given the influential and prominent role that the United States plays across the Middle East, the Middle East Consultation Group (MECG) will convene for a series of off-the-record meetings at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, DC. The MECG will use this opportunity to discuss the US administration’s approach to the region directly with American policymakers and experts, exploring issues linked to security, stability, and the building blocks for sustainable peace.

On Wednesday, May 7, Ambassador (ret.) Wolfgang Ischinger and Vice-Chair and CEO Benedikt Franke will be available for a press briefing on the occasion of the MLM in Washington, DC.

Furthermore, we are happy to arrange interview opportunities with Ambassador (ret.) Wolfgang Ischinger or Vice-Chair and CEO Benedikt Franke in Washington, DC. Please get in touch with us via press@securityconference.org.

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Munich Leaders Meetings bring together an exclusive group of 70 to 90 high-level participants to discuss current foreign and security policy challenges with particular emphasis on a specific regional context. Meetings take place once or twice a year in different cities around the world. The most recent meetings took place in Rio de Janeiro (2024), Nairobi (2023), and Tokyo (2023). With debates being held under Chatham House rule with a limited group of participants, Munich Leaders Meetings enable an open and interactive exchange among high-level decision-makers and senior experts from around the globe in an informal and protected space. While parts of the meeting will take place as plenary sessions, bringing together all participants and selected high-level speakers, smaller parallel sessions as well as thematic roundtables (by special invitation only, in cooperation with selected partners) will allow for more in-depth and interactive debates with a specific thematic focus. The Munich Security Conference is planning two Munich Leaders Meetings for 2025: In 2025 it will take place in Washington, DC before turning to Saudi Arabia in the fall.