Press Release
Dr. Henry Kissinger is honored as the first recipient of the Ewald von Kleist Award of the Munich Security Conference
Munich, 6th February 2009
For his contributions to global peace and international cooperation Dr. Henry Kissinger is being decorated as the first awardee of the Ewald von Kleist Award of the Munich Security Conference 2009.
As announced by Conference Chairman Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, Dr Kissinger is being honored for a lifetime of achievement. The son of German-Jewish immigrants, Dr. Kissinger was born in Fürth, Germany, and moved with his parents to the United States in 1938. Prior to entering government service Dr. Kissinger had a distinguished academic career at Harvard University. From 1969 until 1977 he served as the US National Security Advisor and US Secretary of State where he played a critical role in the formulation and execution of US Foreign Policy under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He is the holder of the Nobel Peace Prize. His voice continues to bear weight and authority throughout the globe.
According to Ambassador Ischinger, Dr. Kissinger has inspired generations of diplomats and politicians throughout the world. “For me personally, Henry Kissinger is a fatherly counsel and a friend. I owe Dr. Kissinger extraordinarily much, especially during my years as Ambassador to the US from 2001 until 2006.”
The prize is named after Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist, who, 46 years ago, established the “Wehrkunde Tagung”, which is known today as the Munich Security Conference.
Ambassador Ischinger said that Ewald von Kleist’s life path is characterized by personal courage, intellectual independence, and great integrity. “Mr. von Kleist is the last living co-conspirator of the Stauffenberg Group, which orchestrated the assassination attempt on Hitler on 20th July 1944. With the “Wehrkunde Conference”, Ewald von Kleist created a forum in 1962 which initiated many important initiatives in the European and transatlantic foreign and security policy debate. It is my intention to continue the Munich Security Conference in his spirit – independent and openminded.”
The Ewald von Kleist award is being inaugurated in 2009 and shall be granted to participants in the Munich Security Conference who have rendered outstanding services regarding peace and conflict resolution.
The award will be presented on Saturday, 7th February 2009 during an official dinner at the residence of the Bavarian Ministerpräsident, Dr. Horst Seehofer. Professor Dr. h.c. Horst Teltschik, who lead the Munich Security Conference as the immediate successor of Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist for the last ten years will also be present at this event.
For press inquiries please contact:
Mr. Treude, Press Centre of the Munich Security Conference
Te.: +49(0)89 3168 6144
Mobile: +49(0)151 1462 5974
The speeches 2009
As special service, the speeches and statements of the participants in the Munich Conference on Security Policy are going online. All the speeches will be available on the Internet immediately after they have been released for publication. This service aims to make the texts available to the public as quickly as possible. It is not only for representatives of the international security community, but also for interested readers concerned with security policy in the fields of politics, business, science and the media.
Documents by the following can be called up. (The documents are ordered alphabetically):
| Biden, Joseph R. | ||
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| Ivanov, Sergey B. | ||
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| Kissinger, Dr. Henry | ||
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| Miliband, David | ||
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| Narayanan, Mayankote Kelath | ||
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| Solana Madariaga, Dr. Javier | ||
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| Steinmeier, Frank-Walter | ||
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