THE THIRD GLOBAL CONFERENCE

Under the auspices of the Ashburn Institute, The Third Global Conference of the “Redefining Europe” series was held at Girne American University in Girne/Northern Cyprus between June 5-8, 2006.

The European Union has been increasing its power since the European integration process started in the early 1950s. The cooperation in economic issues may be argued to have “spilled over” to political, security, and defense issues. The EU has been increasing its power as an actor in international politics especially through the common security and defense policy, the enlargement policy, and dialogue with other states in the wider region. Not only has the organization adopted critical rules and procedures for the cooperation in security and defense issues, but it also has undertaken political and military activities in the region. Bulgaria and Romania recently joined the organization as full members and, what is more interesting, the accession talks with Turkey started on October 3, 2005. The organization has also strengthened its relations with the Mediterranean countries. This process of building-up power deserves more attention from scholars. The EU seems to have been emerging from being a regional power. It will increase its chance to become a global power with further enlargement and strengthening its cooperation in security and defense issues. However, the EU should not be considered, nor should it become, as a rival or an alternative to the United States. New threats such as terrorism, ethnic conflicts, and economic problems have urged states and organizations alike to cooperate on global issues. The EU, while increasing its power, also takes into account the interests and concerns of its neighbors as well as the like-minded states.

As a result of these regional and global developments, through an international conference, the AI aimed to build a roadmap to:

1) a stronger European Union;
2) a stronger Euro-Atlantic partnership; and
3) a European Union in which newly accessed countries can play a key role in the decision-making process as well as relations within and outside this growing international organization.

Also the candidacy of Turkey for full membership in the European Union has come as a test of European identity and raised many questions such as: what is Europe, who are Europeans, is Europe a geographical, political, economic area, is it a civilization, is it Christian, and where does enlargement stop? Therefore the subtitle of this conference was “The Redefinition of European Identity.”

The conference was a great success thanks to the participation of many scholars from around the world. The participants, besides discussing the issues above, succeeded in creating an 8-point paper toward the solution of the Cyprus Question. This paper was submitted to the Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Mr. Ferdi Sabit Soyer. The AI is resolved not only to follow up the 8-point suggestions it has made but also to continue working for the solution of the question with future academic activities.