Talk by Heinz Gärtner at the 3rd East Asia Peace Forum in Taipei
Neutrality of Korea: the Austrian example
Heinz Gärtner
The concept of neutrality has proven time and again that it can adapt to new situations. What are the big new challenges after the end of the Cold War? They are the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD); terrorism, which potentially holds new dangerous dimensions in combination with WMD proliferation; fragile and dysfunctional states, which can be breeding grounds for terrorism, a source of uncontrolled immigration, and a source for the development and dissemination of organized crime. They also contribute to the loss of important economic areas. Neutral states are well suited (in many ways better than other states) for making an important contribution to the fight against these new dangers. Neutral states sometimes show higher acceptance than members of alliances.
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