Your Highnesses,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Evening,
It is my honour and pleasure to welcome you all to the Kingdom of Bahrain. I am delighted to see, once again, such high-level participation from both within the region and beyond. I trust you will find the Fourth IISS Regional Security Summit: The Manama Dialogue; stimulating, productive and informative.
In this regard, allow me to thank my dear friend, Dr. John Chipman and all the staff at the International Institute for Strategic Studies for their continued efforts to ensure that the Manama Dialogue continues to be the premier forum to discuss Gulf Security challenges and opportunities in a frank and open manner.
During the last couple of weeks we have witnessed two landmark meetings: the Annapolis Conference and the 28th GCC Summit. These two meetings have built the momentum to embark on a new era of compromise in the Middle East region, based on both need and will.
At Annapolis, we, the international community, saw how both the Palestinians and Israelis have agreed to engage in "vigorous, ongoing, and continuous negotiations" in the hope of concluding an agreement by the end of 2008. Each party recognizes that realizing the objectives of the other is vital to achieving their own objectives. And both objectives necessitate an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian state. This will both provide the Palestinians the opportunity to lead their lives in freedom, purpose and dignity, as well as provide the Israelis with the prospect of living in peace with their neighbours.
While, at the GCC Summit, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar rightfully expressed the collective regional concerns when he said (and I quote), "We are meeting today in a climate of grave dangers threatening our homelands, the region and the world. They are dangers that not only affect security but also the means of progress, the levels of production, standards of living and welfare and all aspects of life in today's world".
His Highness also said (and I quote), "We want all to understand - and for the good of all- that this region deserves to be kept secure, peaceful and prosperous in the interest of humanity at large".
During the Summit, our leaders underlined the importance of making the Gulf a region of prosperity, good governance with a promising common market.
Furthermore, H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, participated in the Summit, where he outlined proposals for security, economic and scientific cooperation involving the GCC and Iran. We see the presentation of these proposals as a positive development to enhance peace in the region and to ensure stability and security, as well as to reinforce the relations of good neighbourliness and mutual respect.
Based on these positive overtures, how do we now ensure that Iran’s relations with the region and the world become a source of stability, rather than conflict?
I believe that we must first and foremost ensure that no country in the region will conduct its relations with the world in a confrontational way.
Second, while reiterating Iran’s full sovereign right to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes, it is indispensable for Iran to actively and fully cooperate with the IAEA – adhering to the principles of openness and full transparency while working within, internationally agreed covenants and laws.
Dear friends, the days where Gulf security could be considered as simply a regional issue are long gone. Today everyone recognises that the security situation in the Gulf has far‑reaching global implications, in particular, given the current and anticipated political, economic and social trends. Whether we look at the security situation in Iraq, or the escalating tensions over the Iranian nuclear programme, Gulf security is essentially a global public good.
It is this conviction that underlines the need to see eye‑to‑eye with our partners on these and other issues. Gulf security is thus a mutual responsibility and a common challenge. Addressing this challenge successfully requires a multifaceted set of policies and close coordination between regional leaders and their people, as well as among governments themselves; in conjunction with the international community that shares our commitment to democracy, peace and stability.
All over the world, from government leaders, non-government organisation (NGO) representatives, to individual citizens, we all strive to realise a stable, long‑lasting security order. We also know that for an enduring security order to materialise, it must provide cultural, material, psychological and even spiritual benefits: justice, freedom, prosperity, respect for one’s identity or culture by others, a general sense of safety, and other such intangible but very real factors.
This means that this is not a competition or a zero sum game in which one party wins and achieves all its interests at the expense of the others via threats, coercion and violence. Have we not learned from history that a deep‑rooted security order can only be achieved through compromise, cohabitation and respect for the other?
Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we must continue to pursue positive negotiations in the region to build the security order and, among other goals, to aim for a nuclear‑free zone. This must be achieved bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally, in parallel according to the regions’ existing interests and values. The Kingdom of Bahrain and many of our neighbours are not only willing but committed to this cause. Important steps have already been taken and mechanisms established to preserve and maintain peace in this region.
The Istanbul Initiative, for example, provides us with a range of instruments for practical cooperation for the Gulf countries as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in the defence and security fields. I believe that we must develop and utilise this relationship to its fullest potential and scope. In November this year, our Ministry of Interior hosted the Middle East Homeland and Global Security Forum, in cooperation with the Crans Montana Forum. This forum was an important platform that discussed a number of issues, such as seeking the most effective methods to assess recent developments in terrorist threats, improving risk knowledge and modelling, as well as forging partnerships between the private and public sectors, to name a few.
However, much more needs to be done. There remains an urgent need to enhance the involvement of other major international organisations in order to strengthen regional security, in particular the International Atomic Energy Agency. To this end, the Kingdom of Bahrain, last September, signed an agreement with the IAEA to ensure the implementation of safeguards, as set out in the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty.
We Bahrainis believe that the IAEA can serve as a confidence‑building institution in the region. This is due to its monitoring, technical advice and reporting expertise, regarding concerns of military and environmental security. As you will be aware, the GCC countries are moving to develop what I believe will be an example to the rest of the world of a peaceful, open and transparent nuclear programme. We look forward to working closely with the IAEA in the future.
Dear friends, the entire Middle East region is undergoing a socio-political transformation. Traditional forms of Realpolitik are being left behind. The whole region is transitioning to more open societies, alongside a cross‑country boom in population that could potentially lead to high rates of unemployment and economic stagnations in future years. All of this feeds into a regional security environment characterised by news and events that are inherently transitional; that are inherently transnational; and uncontrollable in nature. This is coupled with growing trade and globalisation, as well as the flow of political arguments, information and ideologies. It is easy to see that Middle East states are quickly becoming more interdependent than ever.
Are we prepared? Are we properly educated? Are we ready to take on such a challenge?
This new road to Gulf security is contingent upon a Gulf where large regional powers coexist with their neighbours in a mutually beneficial set of relationships, based on prosperity and respect rather than fear and domination. I believe that events such as this Manama Dialogue provide a vital forum in which all states of the region and beyond can develop a better understanding and trust for each other’s positions and viewpoints.
It is a spirit which was reinvigorated by the Annapolis Conference. We should be in no doubt that such pragmatism and dialogue are essential building blocks for the relationships required for future regional security. I wish you every success in your discussions.
