Security chiefs gather in Bahrain for major conference
MANAMA: Senior government officials and security chiefs from around the world are gathering in Bahrain for a major security conference, which starts today.
The 14th Manama Dialogue, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, will continue until Sunday at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain.
King Abdullah of Jordan was scheduled to be the keynote speaker, but cancelled last night following flash floods in the Dead Sea area that killed at least 18 people, including children.
US Defence Secretary James Mattis is due to speak at a session on US policy in the Middle East tomorrow.
Top military, intelligence, government and diplomatic personnel will attend the summit, which focuses on major security challenges facing the region.
They include UK Minister of State for the Middle East Alistair Burt, UK Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood and German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa yesterday said it would encourage exchange on key topics.
“The summit aims at promoting peace and consolidating the values of coexistence and dialogue among all,” he said.
“It is also attended by elites and discusses important issues related to the security and stability of the Middle East, due to its strategic importance.”
Shaikh Khalid said he hoped it would contribute to overcoming obstacles in the Middle East.
“Manama Dialogue also develops visions that reflect a broader understanding of the region’s challenges and a greater concern for a stable and more secure future,” he added.
Topics to be addressed include changing relationships and the emerging Middle East order; conflict and diplomacy in the Middle East; stabilisation and reconstruction in the Middle East; security and competition in the Horn of Africa; and navigating geopolitical change.
Sessions on Sunday will take place behind closed doors and focus on defence modernisation and industrialisation in the Middle East; the Security of the Bab Al Mandeb; cyber threats and cyber defence; and nuclear energy and non-proliferation in the Middle East.
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/427706
