Bahrain FM inaugurates second Gulf Strategic Conference

Manama : The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohamed Al Khalifa, expressed appreciation for the interest and the interaction of the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (DERASAT) with issues on the regional and international arenas and providing integrated visions and scientific theses to deal with different challenges. He was speaking while inaugurating the second Gulf Strategic Conference here yesterday.

At the opening of the conference, DERASAT Board of Trustees Chairman Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Fadhala gave a welcome speech, followed by speeches by the former Romanian Prime Minister and member of the New strategies Centre, Ambassador Sergiu Celac, and member of the French Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Nathalie Goulet, and Professor Cliff Jones from Britain’s Durham University.

Al Fadhala said that the security challenges faced by communities have now become more complex by the advancement in technology. “The oil price decline should act as a warning bell for the Middle East countries to emerge out of various conflicts and to encourage reconciliation and constructiveness among them.”

Celac noted that the last three decades witnessed great progress for everyone despite many incidents of violence. 

“The world is now facing a plethora of problems that polarises people and regional networks like Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) can positively make an impact for a better world,” he opined.

Cautioning about the growing radicalisation,  Mrs. Goulet said there were huge number of extremists in France and large percentages were new converts from Christianity to Islam. 

“NATO decisions regarding countering terrorists are not always correct. The most important step to counter terrorist organisations is to cut their funding sources. Cost of conducting terror attacks are very low, especially for attacks similar to the ones conducted in France, often less than US$5,000. But, the security operations required to prevent such attacks will involve much higher cost,” she said.

Meanwhile, Prof. Jones called for economic integration for meeting the challenges faced by the region. “Even though, the world follows a power structure based on economic might, the region should consider making human right standards as the anchor.”

The second Gulf Strategic Conference, which will conclude today, is hosting a an elite of prominent figures, analysts, researchers and specialists in international and Middle Eastern studies, along with renowned think tanks from all over the world to discuss geopolitical changes in the new global space.