By TARIQ KHONJI
DIALOGUE and not unilateral military action is the key to achieving stability in the region, representatives of European Union (EU) countries told a major security conference yesterday.
Senior officials from France, the UK and Germany said all parties involved in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Iran nuclear issue and the current situation in Iraq and Lebanon need to engage each other.
"Dialogue and co-operation is the only way forward, which will bring about peace, security and progress," said French Diplomatic Advisor to the President Maurice Gourdault-Montagne.
"With regards to the Israel and Palestinian issue, it is necessary to ensure that political process is ongoing - unless we want to see radicals from both camps compromising its future.
"Allies, including the US, must re-engage in this issue."
Mr Gourdault-Montagne was speaking on the final day of the three-day International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue, which was held at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.
The event brought together all elements of national security establishments from countries in the region - namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen.
They were joined by the key external powers Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, Singapore, the UK and the US.
Mr Gourdault-Montagne said the international community needed to work hard to ensure there was a resolution of the current crisis in Lebanon, where Hizbollah and its supporters are challenging the government.
He said that the resolution should include all stakeholders and be fair to all.
"There must be dialogue among the Lebanese in order for them to meet a consensus," said Mr Gourdault-Montagne.
He said the solution to the Iraqi situation must also come from Iraqis themselves, with the encouragement of the international community.
With regard to Iran, Mr Gourdault-Montagne said the international community needed to respect Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear programme - but that Iran itself must provide more transparency.
"France, UK and Germany have shown the way by engaging in a negotiation process with Iran in which we recognise the legitimate rights to nuclear energy," he said. "But Iran needs to restore confidence in them regarding this important issue, which affects first and foremost its neighbours."
UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Adam Ingram, said the world must unite against terrorists using Islam as way to achieve their ends.
"Those who claim that there is a clash of civilisations are wrong and those who claim that the terrorist acts are a holy war by Muslims against non-Muslims are also wrong," he said.
"Our aim should be a world in which different faces and cultures live peacefully side by side."
Mr Ingram argued that terrorists want to replace the values that most of the world share's - including the will to live in peace - with hate.
"A stable democratic Iraq would mean the terrorists had failed and a Palestine living side by side with Israel would also mean that the terrorists had failed," he continued.
"Iraq's national reconciliation process must be pushed forward through nation-building.
"We must stem the spiral of violence through finding a broad consensus among all parties - as broad as possible."
Meanwhile, German Defence Ministry parliamentary state secretary Christian Schmidt also invited Iran to enter talks with the international community regarding its nuclear programme.
"Iran was invited to clarify all outstanding questions and it didn't, so United Nations Security Council proceedings began," he said.
"Nevertheless, the door is still open for talks."
