Robert Vass (source: Sme)
We will always have Russia as a neighbour, the question is whether the tension that exists between us creates any room to speak of future relations, says Robert Vass, the president of the Globsec international conference that will start in Bratislava on May 17.
In which way will this year of Globsec be different from previous editions?
Globsec as an organisation has undergone huge changes in the past year; we have built a strong international team of experts in Bratislava whose outputs will be more visible at the conference. We will bring more contents, initiatives, recommendations, reports. Globsec 2018 will be an example of how even in this region, ideas can appear with the potential to form the world, which are relevant outside our region, too. This edition is the biggest so far – we have 140 speakers, three parallel conference rooms, and about 50 accompanying events. We also organise an investment forum, and many other events. We have opened the forum for special themes, speakers and participants.
Originally, Globsec was an abbreviation for Global Security but since then, the themes are much wider. Is the abbreviation not relevant anymore?
Currently, security has many forms; it involves, for example, the ability to resist new challenges, not just military ones but also technological ones. Today, our security is also affected by the issue of stability of institutions, both national and international, which guarantee the values our society is based on. Meanwhile, we witness the surge in populism in Europe, and the USA. We see that foreign actors have abused some democratic processes and this is very dangerous.
Which of the topical issues will be addressed most?
Last week, we issued a report on seven mega-trends, which fundamentally impact our stability and security. According to this report, central Europe has been particularly vulnerable geopolitically since 1989. New dividing lines have appeared in Europe, and multi-speed integration will only deepen more. In a wider context, the confrontation in international relations has increased dramatically, multilateralism is in crisis, and we are gradually heading towards a world without rules. New technologies have been ever more abused as a weapon against us. The unstable Middle East and power ambitions of Iran and other players are particularly important, too. Recently, we were involved in the direct duel of powers in Syria. Another issue for discussion is that the use of chemical weapons is a step beyond what is acceptable but it has happened nevertheless – and not for the first time.
How can the conflict in Syria be solved at Globsec, for example?
