Unveiling the operational interconnectedness of Euro-Atlantic security

On Monday, 9 December, the Eastern Mediterranean Programme at Oxford hosted a daylong conference on European and Transatlantic security in St Antony’s College at the University of Oxford, in partnership with the Security and Defence Academy of the Ministry of Defence of Cyprus, and in coordination with the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office. The discussion addressed the topic of ‘Unveiling the operational interconnectedness of Euro-Atlantic security: common threats and lessons to and from Ukraine and the Eastern Mediterranean’

The session intended to better understand the intensifying and emerging threats against Euro-Atlantic security and how security threats of various themes – such as energy, economic, political, and military security – interconnect across several theatres of European security, such as the Eastern Mediterranean, Ukraine, continental Europe, and the British Isles. Due to the presence of British and Cypriot officials, a deepening, bilateral relationship amongst the UK and Cyprus to the benefit of European, British, and Cypriot security constituted an additional point of discussion.

The conference benefited from the participation of high-level speakers, such as the Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection of Cyprus, the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff for Strategy of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom, the Head of the Mediterranean Department of the FCDO, and several officials from the Cypriot and British armed forces, and the foreign services.

In addition to state representatives, the conference benefited from the participation of  several leading experts on European security from prominent institutions, such as the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, the Royal Institute for International Relations of Belgium (‘Egmont’), the Royal Institute of International Affairs in the United Kingdom (‘Chatham House’), the University of Galway, the European Security and Defence College, and the University of Nicosia. Several academics affiliated with South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX) further formed part of the discussion in fulfilling the task of making better sense of how European security interconnects across security themes and geographical regions.

Within this context, the conference sought to uncover British and Cypriot perspectives on the state of affairs of European security from Ukraine to the Eastern Mediterranean, London, and beyond, while interrogating cooperation between the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States in the Eastern Mediterranean. Subsequently, the discussion focused on taking stock of the lessons accrued from Ukraine to the Eastern Mediterranean in identifying best practices in countering conventional, hybrid, and asymmetrical threats, along with how these lessons can inform strategic, security, and defence planning. The Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection of Cyprus addressed the topic of migration within the context of the European security agenda and beyond, in conversation with Dr Othon Anastasakis, Director of the European Studies Centre and SEESOX, and Dr Foteini Kalantzi.

The Eastern Mediterranean Programme at Oxford, the principal host, constitutes the first policy and research programme set within a world-leading university to focus on the Eastern Mediterranean region. Its objective is to advance understanding of the region, which may form the basis for long-sighted, comprehensive, and innovative policy solutions to important regional processes and challenges.

The Eastern Mediterranean Programme is housed within South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), which maintains a longstanding tradition in pioneering the study of Southeast Europe. Staying true to its mission, SEESOX wishes to master the study of this fascinating region and the intriguing dynamics it presents, which derive from the East Mediterranean lying at the intersection of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.