The 42nd Munich Conference on Security Policy opened in Munich Friday, with the official theme as renewal of transatlantic relations.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili called for energy security in his opening speech, entitled Georgia's Role in International Security Policy.

According the organizers of the annual meeting, transatlantic relations and the Iranian nuclear crisis will be the focus of the gathering, as the official theme of it is "Europe and the United States: Renewal of transatlantic relations."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will address Saturday morning more than 250 senior officials from 50 nations and regions.

Vice Minister of the International Department of Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Zhang Zhijun will highlight his address on Global Foreign Policy and Security Interests in Asia.

Among other speakers, the speech of U.S. Secretary of Defense Minister Donald Rumsfeld is to center around ties between his country and Europe, entitled Europe and the United States: A Test of Partnership.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sergey B. Ivanov and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will also take the podium.

Besides predetermined topics, some current political aspects will be addressed such as the Iran problem, the future of Kosovo and Asia's global foreign and security interests, according to organizers.

More than 30 foreign and defense ministers will attend the meeting.

Among them are German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Minister of Defense Franz-Josef Jung, French Minister of Defense Michele Alliot-Marie, British Defense Secretary John Reid and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Apart from China, India and Japan also sent delegations to the conference.

Source: Xinhua