On March 18, at 10:30 a.m., Palau Macaya will host the round table “Europe and Spain Facing the New Strategic Environment in the Indo-Pacific”, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, in collaboration with Casa Asia and CIDOB, with the support of the La Caixa Foundation, and which aims to address the major strategic issues in the region.

Andrew Small, Senior Principal Research Fellow for Transatlantic Issues in the Asia Program of the German Marshall Fund (GMF), James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Emerging Security Challenges, NATO, and Gabriele Visentin, European Union Ambassador on a Special Mission for the Indo-Pacific will participate in the roundtable that will be moderated by Áurea Moltó, director of the Foreign Policy magazine.

The welcome words will be given by Juan José López Burniol, Vice President of the Fundació La Caixa, after which the initial speech and inauguration of the seminar will take place by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares.

Context

The Indo-Pacific region is gaining more and more prominence as it becomes the new axis of world power. The withdrawal from Afghanistan, the agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) to defend their interests in the region, the rise of China or the recent invasion of Russia in Ukraine, have once again placed the role of Europe on the table and its strategic autonomy regarding security and defence matters.

The European decision to go further in terms of strategic autonomy is being forged, consequently, in a global environment marked by turbulence and tensions between actors that condition the elaboration of its own compass. The elaboration of the new NATO Strategic Concept will also respond to a global conversation in which the tone has hardened and the exchange of points of view has become more forceful.

Europe projects itself in the world defining its positions in dialogue with its natural allies, but seeking to defend its own interests in all the major issues on the international agenda. An international agenda that will be increasingly conditioned by technological primacy and by the way in which each block knows how to use the evolution of artificial intelligence.

Principles, values, human rights and human security are the key terms that appear in all the partnerships that the European Union and its Member States seek to consolidate in the Indo-Pacific region, aware of the fact that the strength of their projection will come from the strength of their relationship with its main partners.

This roundtable open to the public is part of the seminar “Europe and Spain facing the Indo-Pacific: challenges for global governance and security” and has two work sessions that will be held behind closed doors, with the participation of representatives from the EU, NATO and European and American think tanks.