“At a challenging time in the region, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) announced the issues that will be tackled at the most awaited Manama Dialogue to date taking place 7-9 December 2012 in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” IISS in a statement said.
Senior ministerial delegations will take advantage of this unique opportunity to convene to advance bilateral relations and pursue key policy objectives around vital security issues, including proliferation and sectarian divides. Particular focus will be given to the escalating situation in Syria and its security implications for the region in the opening and special sessions.
Ministers attending from the region include Shaikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah of Kuwait, Shaikh Adbullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE, HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, and Nasser Judeh of Jordan. Minister-led delegations will attend from the US, the UK, Germany and Italy. Remarks by the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and US Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns will draw considerable interest.
Several Chiefs of Defence staff and deputy chiefs will participate from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. A significant congressional delegation will also attend from the US to include John McCain, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Dutch Ruppersberger, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“The IISS is delighted to offer an international and independent platform in the form of the Manama Dialogue for the conduct of defence and foreign affairs diplomacy centred on the Gulf and the wider Middle East,” Dr John Chipman, Director-General and CEO of the IISS said.
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“No other meeting in the Middle East brings together such a wide range of government ministers and officials from the region, the Americas, Europe and Asia. None has such a diverse group of government leaders addressing the hardest issues of the day before an experienced delegate group drawn from the worlds of politics, diplomacy, strategy and education,” he said.
“This year, there is a special opportunity for leaders to engage on the crisis in Syria, the strategic impact of political developments in the region, communal and sectarian issues, maritime security, and the roles of powers from different parts of the world in the region,” he added.
“The IISS hopes and expects that the array of governments represented at the Manama Dialogue will use the occasion to exchange frank views on the challenges of the moment and to strengthen their relations wherever possible.”
Convened at a crucial time, the 8th IISS Security Summit will draw together a select group of ministers and policy-makers responsible for regional security. The attendance of international journalists, experts and business leaders helps sharpen the public debate, ensuring transparency on key questions.