ATTEND THE 12TH MEPEI FORUM
The MEPEI Forum brings together diplomats, policymakers, academics and regional experts for a full day of strategic discussions, networking opportunities and meaningful exchange on the political, security and economic developments shaping the Middle East.
The 12th MEPEI Forum 2026
Middle East: Countering Fragmentation
and Exploring the New Balance of Power
"Middle East: Countering Fragmentation and Exploring the New Balance of Power"
About the Forum
An event organized by the Bucharest-based think-tanks MEPEI (Middle East Political and Economic Institute) and EuroDefense Romania. The Forum brings together representatives of think-tanks, governmental authorities, the diplomatic corps, civil society, and mass media.
The Middle East stands at a pivotal historical juncture, shaped by overlapping crises, shifting alliances, and the gradual reconfiguration of regional and global power dynamics. This Forum convenes policymakers, scholars, and practitioners to critically assess the forces driving division while identifying pathways toward greater coherence and stability.
Partners: IPIS (Iran), Amersi Foundation (UK), CCG (China), SDGAi (Romania), ILD (Romania), IFIMES, CMESS (Iran), BRIRL (Romania) · Media: Nine O'Clock, Financial Intelligence, Modern Diplomacy, Reușita Business Group
Agenda
08:30 – 09:30
☕ Registration and Welcome Coffee/Tea
09:30 – 09:50
Opening
Official Opening and Welcome Remarks
Dr. Flavius CABA-MARIA (Romania) — President, MEPEI, Bucharest
Dr. Liviu MUREȘAN (Romania) — President, EuroDefense Romania
Prof. Teodor MELEȘCANU (Romania) — Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Minister of Defense, and Former Director of Foreign Intelligence Service
HE Dr. Alireza Khoda GHOLIPOUR (Iran) — Director General, IPIS, Tehran
Mr. Mohamed AMERSI (UK) — Founder & Chairman, Amersi Foundation, London
H.E. Dr. Seyed Mohsen EMADI (Iran) — Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran
09:50 – 10:30
Keynote
Keynote Speeches
HE Dr. Saeed KHATIBZADEH (Iran) — President, IPIS and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tehran pre-recorded video
Mr. Mohamed AMERSI (UK) — Founder & Chairman, Amersi Foundation, London
Bg. Gen. (r) Mark KIMMITT (USA) — Former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, and Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East
Prof. Adrian SEVERIN (Romania) — Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Former MEP, Bucharest
10:30 – 12:00
Session I
The Changing Regional Security Environment in the Middle East
Iranian War/Crises; GCC security architecture; Gaza Peace Plan; internal unrest in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan; Vision of Inclusive Regionalism; and External Power Competition (US, Russia, China).
Moderator
Mr. Mohamed AMERSI (UK) — Founder & Chairman, Amersi Foundation, London
Prof. Kayhan BARZEGAR (Iran) — Dean, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Tehran's Science and Research Azad University
Prof. Gawdat BAHGAT (USA) — Distinguished Professor, Near East South Asia Center, National Defense University
Dr. Hisham ALGHANNAM (Saudi Arabia) — Director, Security Research Center and General Supervisor of National Security and Counter-Terrorism Programs, Riyadh
Prof. Huseyin BAGCI (Türkiye) — Co-founder, Ankara Global Advisory Group
Prof. Zafar N. JASPAL (Pakistan) — Vice-Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad
Prof. SUN Degang (China) — Professor, Fudan University; Director and Vice President, Chinese Association of Middle East Studies, Shanghai
Maj. Gen. Mohamed Samy KAFRANA (Egypt) — Director, Strategic Studies Centre of Armed Forces (SSCAF), Cairo
12:00 – 12:30
☕ Coffee/Tea Break and Networking
12:30 – 14:00
Session II
US–China–Russia and the Middle East for a Changing Global Order
How strategic alliances — BRICS, GCC, LAS, OIC, Board of Peace, G-7, G-20 — influence global geopolitics and economics.
Moderator
HE Mr. Viorel ISTICIOAIA-BUDURA (Romania) — Former Ambassador to China, Former Head of EU delegation to Japan, Managing Director Asia & Pacific, European External Action Service
Prof. HUANG Yunsong (China) — Associate Dean, School of International Studies, Sichuan University, Chengdu
Dr. Yousuf Al-BULUSHI (Oman) — President, Muscat Policy Center
Dr. Alexey KLEBNIKOV (Russia) — Middle East Expert, Russian International Affairs Council, Moscow online
Prof. Zakiyeh YAZDANSHENAS (Iran) — Assistant Professor of International Relations, University of Tehran; Associate Fellow, CARPO
Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed AWAN (Pakistan) — Founding Chair, Global Silk Route Research Alliance (GSRRA); Non-Resident Fellow, CCG
Dr. Robert MOGIELNICKI (USA) — Senior Resident Scholar, Arab Gulf Institute in Washington
Dr. Armina ARM (Iran) — Institute for Iran and Eurasia Studies (IRAS), Tehran
14:00 – 15:00
🍽 Networking Lunch
15:00 – 16:30
Session III
Europe–Middle East Relationship in an Emergent Multipolar World Order
Geoeconomics, strategic autonomy, and transnational infrastructure. The rise of Central and Eastern European countries. The linchpin role of the South Caucasus.
Moderator
Mrs. Tanya GOUDSOUZIAN (Canada) — Journalist on Middle East & Afghanistan; Former Senior Editorial Roles at Al Jazeera English and TRT World; Publisher in The Washington Post, Responsible Statecraft, The National Interest, Newsweek, Le Monde Diplomatique
HE Dr. Bahador AMINIAN (Iran) — Former Ambassador of Iran to Romania and Afghanistan
Prof. Ecaterina MAȚOI (Romania) — Program Director, MEPEI; President, Strategic Dialogue for Global Affairs Initiative (SDGAi), Bucharest
Dr. Kawa HASSAN (Belgium/Iraq) — Nonresident Fellow, MENA Program, Stimson Center
Dr. Walter POSCH (Austria) — Middle East Expert, National Defense Academy, Vienna
Prof. Erzsebet N. ROZSA (Hungary) — Advisor, Institute of World Economics, Centre of Economic and Regional Studies; Professor, University of Public Service, Budapest
Dr. Yasmeen Al-ERYANI (Yemen) — Co-Executive Director, Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies
Dr. Mikko PATOKALLIO (Finland) — Senior Manager, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Helsinki
16:30 – 17:00
☕ Coffee/Tea Break and Networking
17:00 – 18:40
Session IV
Societal Response to Hybrid Threats and Resilience in the Contemporary Middle East
Cyber and Technological Evolution, Fragile States, Resource and Environmental Threats, and Energy Security. The relationship between authorities and civil society.
Moderator
Mr. Cristian DAVID (Romania) — Chairman, Institute for Freedom and Democracy, Bucharest
Dr. Amina KHAN (Pakistan) — Director, Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East & Africa, Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI), Islamabad
Dr. Ehsan MOHAMMADI (Iran) — Expert, IPIS, Tehran
Dr. Hanan ALHAJERI (Kuwait) — Professor, Kuwait University
Dr. Maysaa Shuja al-DEEN (Yemen) — Senior Researcher, Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies
Dr. Gülsüm AKBULUT (Türkiye) — Co-founder and CEO, ANKUDA Ankara Global Advisory Group
Prof. Maryz YOUNES (Lebanon) — Professor of Sociology, Lebanese University; President, International Network for Arab Societies Study, Beirut
Dr. Mohamed Mohsen Abo El-NOUR (Egypt) — Head, Arab Forum for Analyzing Iranian Policies, Cairo
Dr. Ioana CONSTANTIN-BERCEAN (Romania) — Scientific Researcher, "Ion I.C. Brătianu" Institute of Political Science and International Relations; Lecturer, Faculty of Sociology, University of Bucharest
18:40
Closing
Conclusions and Final Remarks
HE Dr. Alireza Khoda GHOLIPOUR (Iran) — Director General, IPIS, Tehran
Dr. Liviu MUREȘAN (Romania) — President, EuroDefense Romania, Bucharest
Dr. Flavius CABA-MARIA (Romania) — President, MEPEI, Bucharest
