The conference “Prospects for Peace and Security in Europe and its Neighborhood” organized in the VIC of the United Nations.

Austria(Daily Roshni News International…Report: Muhammad Amir Siddique Journalist Vienna Austria)

Universal Peace Federation in Austria and Chairman of the NGO Committee on Peace – Vienna, on July 12th 2026 opened the conference “Prospects for Peace and Security in Europe and its Neighborhood” organized in the Vienna International Centre of the United Nations by the NGO Committee on Peace. Representatives from international organizations and civil society institutions accredited to the United Nations participated. In his opening remarks, Mr. Peter Haider, President of the (UPF) Austria welcomed the attendees and praised the extensive experience of the keynote speaker,

Is politics based solely on rational calculations and economic interests, or is it also influenced by dreams, aspirations, and national sentiments that drive peoples and leaders to make fateful decisions?

Dr. Werner Fasslabend, a former Austrian Minister of Defense and the President of the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy emphasized the importance of dialogue and discussion on peace and security issues in light of the rapidly evolving international challenges facing the world. The conference featured an extensive lecture by Dr. Fasslabend, who addressed the most prominent geopolitical shifts affecting Europe and the world. His presentation covered a range of topics, from the Russian-Ukrainian war and the future of European security, to competition between major powers, and the crises in the Middle East, climate change, water-related conflicts and the effect of population growth in some Middle Eastern nations like Iran and Egypt.

He stressed that diplomacy remains a fundamental tool in crisis management, but it cannot succeed if one party believes only in the logic of power. In closing the conference, Fasslabend defended the role of the United Nations, noting that the international organization has achieved significant accomplishments since its founding after World War II, particularly in supporting stability and cooperation among nations. Despite the criticism leveled against it, he argued that the United Nations has contributed to creating platforms and mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation between nations that would not have been possible through other means.