The Federal Republic of Germany and the recognition of Bangladesh in 1972

Breakfast meeting with Ashok K. Metha

Mon, 12/5/2016, 8:30 am
Berliner Kolleg Kalter Krieg
Knesebeckstr. 83
10623 Berlin
Germany

 

Invitation only.

 

Logo: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)

 

Logo: Berliner Kolleg Kalter Krieg (B3K)

After a bloody war between India and Pakistan, Bangladesh emerged as new state from East Pakistan in 1971. In 1972, the Federal Republic of Germany under the Brandt government was the first power to officially recognize Bangladesh as an independent state. Ashok Mehta writes about the developments that led to the German move against the backdrop of the Cold War and Willy Brandt’s détente policy. He presents his findings at this breakfast meeting hosted by the Berlin Center for Cold War Studies and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The commentator is Amit Das Gupta.

Until 1991, Maj. Gen. Ashok K. Mehta (retd.) was a high ranking officer in the Indian Army. His last assignment was General Officer Commanding, Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) South, in Sri Lanka. Since then he has been a regular radio and television commentator, and columnist on defence and security issues in many Indian newspapers and international publications. He has been the convener of India-Nepal, India-Sri Lanka and India-Pakistan Track II dialogues as well as Afghanistan - India - Pakistan trialogues.

Dr. Amit Das Gupta is a research fellow in the faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the German Armed Forces Munich. His main research concern Indian-German relations as well as Indian and German foreign affairs.

The breakfast meeting takes place in English.