On the 18th and 19th of July, the fourth edition of the Meeting on Foreign Policy and Strategic Thinking (IV EPEPE) took place at the Casa de Santa Maria in Cascais. This annual event is organised by the Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (IPDAL) and hosted by Cascais City Council in this magnificent venue.

The discussions follow a roundtable format, held behind closed doors under the Chatham House Rule. The main objective is the preparation, following the event, of a Policy Paper to be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outlining the reflections and recommendations shared by the various speakers, all experts in the field of foreign policy.

The value of these discussions is enhanced by the generational diversity of the participants: on one hand, senior experts with extensive experience and knowledge, who took part in the first day (18 July); and on the other, younger voices bringing innovative ideas and driving new currents of thought, who contributed to the second day of discussions (19 July).

In keeping with the principle that each year focuses on new and timely topics – with particular emphasis on Portuguese foreign policy – two main themes were explored this year: firstly, “The New Era in Transatlantic Relations”, which addressed the increasing geopolitical complexity marked by a shift away from bloc-based logic towards individual state interests, challenging the traditional role of the West, and by the emergence within democracies of internal dynamics that politicise previously stable external relations; and secondly, “The European Neighbourhood Policy and the Situation in the Middle East”, which examined the current status and future prospects of this policy in the context of a deeply unstable and hostile geopolitical environment in the Middle East.

We wish to thank Cascais City Council and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Foundation for their partnership.