Turkey's Cavusoglu to attend Munich Security Conference

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will represent Turkey at the Munich Security Conference 2020, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The 56th edition of the global summit starts in the German city on Friday and will conclude on Sunday.

“This year’s conference will facilitate high-level discussions on current issues such as threats and challenges to security in the Euro-Atlantic region, transatlantic relations, European defense, great power competition and cooperation, international trade, multilateralism, and cyber-security,” the ministry said in a statement.

It also said that Cavusoglu will make a statement on Turkish foreign policy at a side event hosted by Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), which will be held in Turkey between March 27-29.

The foreign minister is also expected to have bilateral meetings with his counterparts, the statement added.

According to the organizers, more than 35 heads of state or government, and over 100 foreign and defense ministers, are expected at this year’s Munich Security Conference.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make their first-ever appearance at the event.

The US delegation will include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will represent the transatlantic alliance.

Foreign ministers of China, Russia and Iran will also be in attendance, while their Indian counterpart will participate in the conference for the first time.

Amid the global spread of novel coronavirus, Director-General of World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is also set to attend the event, while Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is among industry leaders who will address the crucial role of technology in security and international affairs.