Mr. Hoshyar Zebari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, put forward on 10 December the Iraqi government's perception on the regional security system in the Gulf region in the first session of the 3rd Conference of the International Institute for Strategic Studies hosted by Bahrain under the title "Manama Dialogue for the Third Year". He reviewed Iraq's vital needs and essential dependence on the security and stability of the Gulf region and the significance of a stable, peaceful and prosperous Iraq for the security of the Arab and Islamic countries overlooking the Gulf. He also set forth the threats posed by war and aggression policies of the defunct regime of Saddam to the
Iraqi national-WNA / Mr. Hoshyar Zebari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, put forward on 10 December the Iraqi government's perception on the regional security system in the Gulf region in the first session of the 3rd Conference of the International Institute for Strategic Studies hosted by Bahrain under the title "Manama Dialogue for the Third Year". He reviewed Iraq's vital needs and essential dependence on the security and stability of the Gulf region and the significance of a stable, peaceful and prosperous Iraq for the security of the Arab and Islamic countries overlooking the Gulf. He also set forth the threats posed by war and aggression policies of the defunct regime of Saddam to the interests of all states, pointing out the new democratic Iraq's obligations and responsibilities vis-à-vis the regional security.
Mr. Zebari elaborated on the current threats and the requisite that regional states collaborate and cooperate with the Iraqi government to bring security and stability to Iraq. He highlighted the peril of the spread of weapons of mass destruction in the region and the necessity of rendering the region free from terrorist networks and the sources funding their criminal acts against the people of Iraq. He also touched on the phenomenon of sectarian violence, signaling out the need to a collective regional system that all can benefit from and Iraq's future relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council. A vital and heated discussion was made in the session, in which Mr. Zebari answered some questions raised by the audience.
The foreign ministers of Iran and Bahrain and the Kuwaiti Minister of State took part in this session. It is noteworthy that many foreign and defense ministers, government officials and academics from the US, Europe, Arab countries and Asia participated in the conference.
From Iraq, Mr. Jawad Al-Boulani, Minister of Interior, and Mr. Muwaffaq Al-Rubaiei, National Security Adviser, took part in the conference
