02/19/2023 09:25 (act. 02/19/2023 09:25)
Demonstrations in Munich ©APA/dpa
Finally, the Munich Security Conference will address the future security architecture for Europe. Among others, the heads of government of Sweden Ulf Kristersson and Estonia Kaja Kallas will discuss this with EU chief diplomat Josep Borell. At other events, the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, will also speak about the consequences of the Russian war of aggression, which has now lasted almost a year.
In addition to the war in Ukraine, which dominated the three days of the conference, a panel of experts on the situation in Israel, Palestine and the Middle East is also on the agenda on Sunday – former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, among others, is expected to participate in Munich.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opened the security conference on Friday with a video. Afterwards, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, China’s foreign policy chief Wang Yi and US Vice President Kamala Harris, among others, spoke at the conference, which was expected to of 40 heads of state and government and almost 100 ministers. Austria was represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg and Minister of Europe Karoline Edtstadler (both ÖVP).
For the first time in over 20 years, the Russian leadership was not invited. Unlike in previous years, the Iranian leadership and German AfD politicians also received no invitation.