Foreign & Security Policy

A chain of events could lead to a new scenario of arms build-up in international politics. Russia is upgrading its conventional fire power while some NATO members think about improved nuclear deterrence.

Building and keeping peace is intrinsically tied to disarmament and arms control. Thus international trade and flow of weapons needs to be monitored when human rights and security are endangered.

The 4th Japanese-German Dialogue tries to strengthen the new strategic NATO-Japan partnership by identifying areas of mutual Japanese – German security interests and practical cooperation.

The US and its allies have engaged in efforts to stop North Korean nuclear program at least three times, every time ending up with a sense of betrayal. Now, it has become clear that North Korea did not really have the intention to abandon its nuclear program.

For three years, Pakistan has single-handedly – and successfully – blocked the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva from discussing an effort that would put a cap on fissile materials.

New weapon technologies may lead to insecurity in the Middle East. Therefor both Disarmament and Arms Control are indispensable in the region.

The United States and Russia are implementing the New START Treaty, which requires that each side reduce to 1550 deployed strategic warheads on 700 deployed strategic missiles and bombers by 2018. The Obama administration would like to go further. Doing so, however, will require that Washington address several related issues, first and foremost missile defense.

Just one month after Wladimir Putin's official visit to Azerbaijan, where the chance for signing a binding trade agreement between Baku and Moscow was squandered, the Russian president welcomed his Armenian counterpart in Moscow. It's the latter who made headlines on September 3rd by surprisingly announcing that Armenia would join the Russian-led Customs Union.

Introduction to the panel discussion "The future of arms control - Cooperative arms limitations and reductions in times of global change" by Ralf Fücks, president of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Lebanon is facing a complete paralysis of all state institutions, accompanied by a deteriorating security situation and a fragmentation of Lebanon into zones of sectarian conflict. The conflict in Syria is worsening the division within the country.