Contact: Jonathon Price
Deputy Director
Aspen Strategy Group
202-736-5808 | jonathon.price@aspeninstitute.org
ASPEN MINISTERS FORUM STATEMENT ON THE REFUGEE CRISIS
Former Foreign Ministers Demand Action by the United States and Europe
Washington DC, September 30, 2015 –– Sixteen former foreign ministers from North America, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa are calling on the international community to take meaningful action on the Syrian refugee crisis. The group of Ministers, which includes former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and the former Foreign Minister of Germany Joschka Fischer, came together this June at the Aspen Ministers Forum in Berlin. In the statement, they are asking the United States government to accept at least 100,000 Syrian refugees and stress the need for a coherent response to the crisis by all member states of the European Union.
The statement can be found here: http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/aspen-strategy-group/aspen-ministers-forum-statement-refugee-crisis
The Ministers also appeal for more help from the international community and urge the key players in the region to press for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Syria and take additional steps to protect civilian lives.
The Aspen Ministers Forum, a project of the Aspen Strategy Group, is an initiative of former foreign ministers from around the world and across the political spectrum. The group seeks to develop concrete, non-partisan recommendations to address common global challenges. Through its members in-depth understanding of foreign policy, and continued leadership as members of parliament and advisers to governments, the group has examined and provided recommendations on issues including the fight against terrorism, Middle East peace, humanitarian intervention, and reform of the international architecture.
Stay Informed about the Aspen Strategy Group
Follow the Aspen Strategy Group on Twitter @AspenStrategy and visit our website http://www.aspeninstitute.org/asg.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
###