To discuss this topic the EuroArab Forum has the honour to welcome:
Jan SNAIDAUFDesk Officer, Syria/Lebanon, EEAS - Middle East division
Dr Salam KAWAKIBIResearch Director, Arab Reform Initiative - Paris Office
As discussants we also invited (TBC): Iyas MALEH, Director of the Haitham Maleh Foundation and Haitham MALEH, Syrian lawyer and activist.To insure an open debate the discussion will be held under Chatham House Rules and will be moderated by Dr Rouba AL-FATTAL EECKELAERT, EAF Board Member.
Background on the topic:Despite the bloody crackdown by Bashar Assad’s security forces and the high number of civilian casualty, demonstrations continued to spread in Syria. Already a small number of Syrian troops have defected to the opposition, and the EU has imposed embargo on Syrian oil imports. Still, many points remain vague concerning the future of Syria and the future of Syrian-EU relations.
Therefore, the questions that we are seeking answers to through this debate include: - Where does the EU stand on the Syrian revolution and what is the next step?- What is the role of the military and civil society in this period, and how can the EU help both?- Is a federal Syrian state a solution or a problem to ethnic tensions?- What is the state of the promised Assad reforms and can we trust these initiatives?- What can we expect from a post-revolution Syria in light of democratic elections and minority rights?