By Col. Jörg Kunze, BERLIN -- Representatives of countries aspiring to European Union membership and representatives of European Union member states gathered at the second Seminar on Regional Security Community of Interest workshop to discuss the challenges of EU accession from July 23 to 25 here.  Led by Col. Jörg Kunze, Col. Günther Rozenits and Lt. Col. Andreas Hellwig, SRS COI 19-16 participants included 25 SRS alumni from 13 states either aspiring to EU membership or representing Southeast European EU member states. During properly sequenced workshops, regional experts discussed the pros and cons of EU membership and the current public opinion towards EU membership within EU aspirant countries’ and EU member countries’ societies.These discussions were enriched through a roundtable discussion with Sabine Stoehr, from the German Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Klaus Woelfer, from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Florian Feyerabend, from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation; Lt. Col.  Hans Peter Wamsler, the German defense attaché in Tirana, Albania; and, Christian Wehrschuetz, leading media correspondent of the Austrian Österreichischer Rundfunk. Continue reading

By Emma BareihsGARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany – Security professionals from 53 countries will be able to act swiftly and effectively on transnational criminal organizations after their participation in the Program on Countering Transnational Organized Crime at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, said Member of Parliament Rushton Paray from Trinidad and Tobago. “When you’re dealing with international criminal organizations, they’re not going to wait on you,” Paray said. “Through the Marshall Center alumni network, we have access to resources that allows us to take swift and effective action in combating transnational crime.” Held twice a year, the CTOC resident course focuses on 21st century national security threats as a result of transnational organized crime. During the four-week program, 104 participants from 53 countries were educated on fighting transnational criminal threats here July 10 to Aug.1. Continue reading