Manama: Egypt's President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi will give the keynote address at the Manama Dialogue 2015, the annual international security conference held in the Bahraini capital.
Al Sissi arrived in Bahrain on Thursday evening and held talks with King Hamad during which they discussed bilateral, Arab, regional and international developments and “emphasized the importance of consolidating Arab solidarity and achieving common Arab interests to address all forms of threats and challenges,” Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.
The three-day Manama Dialogue, co-organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and the foreign affairs ministry, opens on Friday and brings together leaders from several countries.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said that the 11th Manama Dialogue, on October 30 -November 1, was an important initiative both in the terms of its support for regional stability and for shaping stability worldwide.
"This is achieved through the exchange of views, ideas, experiences and proposals by gathering senior officials, specialists and experts of the world in order to underpin security, which has become a value more sought now than ever in a world torn by a variety of conflicts and serious crises that necessitate sitting together and consulting each other to lay down the foundations for stable and advanced relations," he said.
“Organising the Manama Dialogue on a regular basis for many years indicates the commitment of the Kingdom of Bahrain, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to its interaction, and consolidation of its relations, with the world on the basis of mutual respect,” he said in a statement ahead of the conference.
The international gathering also indicates Bahrain’s endeavours to reinforce a meaningful and constructive dialogue and deepen understanding between the countries of the region and the rest of the world in addition to incessantly seeking to discuss the problems haunting the international community, knowing about all developments and seeking solutions to all conflicts and disputes for the sake of a more secure and prosperous world, he added.
The auspices of Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa of the Manama Dialogue since its first session in 2004 to present have had “a very good impact on the stunning and great success achieved by the forum over the years until it has become one of the most important international forums that tackles various developments in depth and warily addresses the challenges and crises,” Shaikh Khalid said.
On Friday, Abdul Lateef Al Zayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Riyadh Yaseen, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Yemen, Taïeb Baccouche, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia and Helen Clark, from the UN Development Programme will discuss “Extremism, Stability and Development: The Future of the Middle East”.
Senior officials attending the Manama Dialogue include Ibrahim Al Jaafari, the Iraqi foreign minister, Khalid Al Obeidi, the Iraqi defence minister, Nabil Elaraby, the Secretary General of the Arab League, Antony Blinken, the US Deputy Secretary of State, Philip Hammond, the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen, the German defence minister, Salameh Hammad, Jordan’s interior minister and Salahuddin Rabbani, Afghanistan’s foreign minister.
