October 28, 2013

EU Diplomat Silvia Kofler Speaks on International Security

Silvia Kofler from the EU delegation to the United States spoke October 8, 2013 about the role the EU plays in peace and security issues in the Middle East at Lewis & Clark Law School.

The European Union’s role in peace and security issues in the Middle East was the subject of a lecture by Silvia Kofler from the EU delegation to the United States on October 8, 2013.  Kofler, pictured with Prof. John Grant and Gary Spanovich, is head of press and public diplomacy at the EU delegation in Washington DC.  She talked about operation of the EU’s Common and Security Policy and its increasing involvement in peacekeeping and peacemaking outside the borders of the EU’s 28 member states. She particularly drew attention to the EU’s role in the Israel/Palestine peace process as one of the “Quartet” along with the UN, Russia and the USA and in sending military and civilian missions to areas of conflict in the Middle East. In a lively Q&A session, she acknowledged, that while the EU might not play a dominant part in resolving international crises, it was able to use its “soft power” to great effcct.

The Wholistic Peace Institute was associated with the law school in presenting the lecture, which was co-sponsored by the Global Law Program and the International Law Society.