‘Economic downturn impacted geopolitics’

Former Swedish PM speaks on global security challenges

ISLAMABAD: The borders of Europe were drawn in blood at one time or the other in human history. This was said on Wednesday by former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt at a seminar “Global security challenges in the era of new geo-political realignments: European Responses”, organised by the Center for Research and Security Studies.

In his lecture, which had to be shortened due to the busy schedule of Tariq Fatemi — the chief guest — Bildt described Pakistan as “a country of significance, always interesting and intellectually challenging”.

He breezed through a multitude of global events over the past decades, which have led the world to where it stands today.

The former PM, who was also recently Sweden’s foreign minister, said that in 2003, when the EU adopted its first security strategy, it had a positive outlook, a belief that the EU was bringing stability to Europe and the outside world.

“Now things are slightly different.”

He also referenced the impact of the 2007 global banking crisis and economic downturn on geopolitics, noting that even the economic recovery was still shaky.

”Growth figures are back to some extent, but we still are not where we were.”

At the same time, the former prime minister also said that digital flows across borders were taking the place of traditional physical commercial transactions.

Bildt also spoke of the return of European politics to those of decades past due to the deteriorating relationship with Russia in the wake of the annexation of Crimea.

On humanitarian crises, specifically refugee issues, Bildt noted that Pakistan was all too familiar with those, given the large Afghan population it hosts.

He spoke of the importance of having “structures in place to manage the influx”.

He also spoke of EU border issues with regard to Syrian refugees.

On Brexit, Bildt said that a ‘leave the EU vote’, “would be a loss for the EU and a negative for the United Kingdom”.

Tariq Fatemi asked a series of questions rather than delivering a lecture, although he did note the “events in south, west, and central Asia have an impact” on Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2016.