On 15 August, Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media, and Head of the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, visited the Academy. He spoke with our Director Mayssoun Zein Al Din and the AIA team on the substantive contributions of our Fellows to the academic and intellectual landscape of North Rhine-Westphalia. We further discussed the role that North Rhine-Westphalia can play in addressing the increasingly pressing issues of security and defense. Minister Liminski emphasized his commitment, in his capacity as Minister for Europe and International Affairs, to ensuring that North Rhine-Westphalia contributes actively and visibly to these pivotal debates. This dialogue reaffirmed the importance of linking scholarly expertise with policy-oriented reflection, thereby strengthening the capacity of North Rhine-Westphalia to contribute meaningfully to discussions on the future of international security and strategic stability.