The CSCE as a model to transform Western relations with the Greater Middle East

Summary:

The last months of 2004 have seen numerous proposals for a profound change of the relations between the Greater Middle East, Europe and the United States. One of the most far-reaching and ambitious plans was put forward by the United States, being labelled Greater Middle East Initiative. The initial plan, leaked to the public in February, was loosely modelled on the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE).

The issue has been a central topic on the agenda of numerous meetings and summits over the past months, including the EU-US summit in Ireland and the NATO summit in Turkey. The G-8 summit at Sea Island in Georgia, USA, agreed on a – watered-down – version of the initiative. The approved Partnership for Progress and a Common Future intends to reframe Western relations with the “governments and peoples of the Broader Middle East and North Africa”.