Munich (Germany) (EFE) .
Regarding the meeting, which is scheduled to begin early in the afternoon, however, the strike called at the airport in the Bavarian capital is planned and the organizers have already warned that it may affect the content of the forum due to the expected stoppage of the Munich aerodrome and others from Germany.
The US Vice President, Kamala Harris, is already in Munich, while on the European side, among others, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The presence of the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has also been announced, while his Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, will be on the Ukrainian side. In Munich, the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, and the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, are also expected.
Award for Sweden and Finland
The MSC will reward Sweden and Finland for their “historic” decision to apply for NATO membership and as a “boost” for their integration process, over Turkey’s objections. The Kleist Prize will honor both Nordic countries, which, as a result of the aggression against Ukraine, broke with decades of military neutrality to request entry into the Atlantic alliance.
For the second time in a row, the MSC will not have representatives from the Russian government. Last year there was an invitation for the Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, who chose not to attend, which at the time was interpreted as a sign that the decision to launch the invasion of Ukraine had already been taken.
The exclusions are a clear symptom of the new winds blowing in Munich as a result of the war. Traditionally, the MSC had sought to offer, outside of public events, a platform for informal meetings where possible diplomatic solutions to certain crises could be explored.
The “global south”
Parallel to the issue of Ukraine, debates on other aspects are planned, such as those dedicated to the so-called “global south”.
Apart from the conference, which is an informal and private forum, many bilateral and multilateral meetings usually take place, taking advantage of the high number of senior officials who meet in Munich.
It has already been known, for example, that on Saturday there will be a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, convened by Japan, as well as another in which Macron, Scholz, Sunak and Kamala Harris will participate dedicated to Ukraine.
On the other hand, the MSC will have demonstrations against it this year, organized by small groups – left and right – who oppose military support for Ukraine. Some of them hold the US and NATO responsible for the war due to the expansion of the alliance to the east.
