Regional Security and De-Escalation in the Middle East: What Role for Europe?

The Middle East is experiencing profound transformations as a result of competing geopolitical agendas, foreign interventionism and reciprocal meddling in the internal affairs of states. These dynamics are being reinforced by international trends, creating a vicious cycle that risks descending into a full-fledged military conflict with implications extending well beyond the Middle East itself.

The webinar will explore recent developments in three regional ‘hotspots’ – the Persian Gulf, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant – from the perspective of key international actors; the US, Russia, Turkey and the EU.

Organised in the framework of an ongoing research project “Fostering a New Security Architecture in the Middle East”, the event will present the results of an online expert survey, followed by a panel debate and an open Q&A session.

The event is organised by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) in cooperation with the Italian International Affairs Institute (IAI), and with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). Research findings from the project will be published in an edited volume in mid-October 2020.