At the UN Forum on War, Peace, and Neutrality in Geneva, Michael Schumann, Chairman of the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA), called for a reorientation of Europe’s foreign and economic policy. In his speech on “Strategic Neutrality and Economic Diplomacy,” he advocated greater European independence in an evolving global order.

“Strategic neutrality is not a sign of passivity but of determination,” Schumann stated. “It means keeping political, economic, and technological options open while avoiding one-sided dependencies.”

Schumann emphasized the role of business as a bridge-builder where classical diplomacy reaches its limits. Economic cooperation, he argued, can foster trust and contribute to the stabilization of international relations.

Seventy years after the Bandung Conference of 1955, where representatives of the Global South formulated the principles of peaceful coexistence that later became the foundation of the Non-Aligned Movement, Schumann said it was time to translate these ideas into the present day:

“Europe must find the courage to act beyond geopolitical blocs - as a mediating and sovereign force between the poles.”

The forum, organized by the Geneva Center for Neutrality, brought together representatives of the United Nations as well as international experts from politics, diplomacy, business, and academia. The positive response to Schumann’s address underscored the growing interest in a more autonomous European course between the world’s major power blocs.