Meeting of the Helsinki Policy Forum Steering Group, Chantilly 6th November 2015

Forward Thinking, with the support of the Academie Diplomatique Internationale, convened a meeting of the Helsinki Policy Forum Steering Group at the Château de Chantilly in France on the 6th of November. The Steering Group is compromised of senior policy makers, economic experts and political leaders from Europe and MENA-Gulf Region, including representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Turkey.The meeting’s aims were threefold: deepening the analysis of the current challenges in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)-Gulf Region and the role of Europe in responding to these challenges; identifying potential recommendations for policy makers; and developing the agenda for the next full meeting of the Helsinki Policy Forum. Discussions covered a wide range of issues, including the ongoing refugee/migrant crisis, the conflict in Syria, and the need for greater dialogue between regional powers to respond to shared challenges.