US Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, will attend the 9th IISS Regional Security Summit: The Manama Dialogue, to be held 6-8 December 2013 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, according to The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
In its 9th year, the Manama Dialogue is a crucial pillar of the regional security architecture and provides a platform for ministers, chiefs of defence staff and national security leaders to consult bilaterally and multilaterally on key security and foreign policy challenges facing the region. With some twenty foreign and defence ministers and dozens of senior national security officials already confirmed to participate, this year’s summit is poised to address key themes of Gulf and Middle East security including Syria, Egypt, regional conflict resolution, the management of political Islam and sectarianism as well as the future of GCC integration and military cooperation.
“US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s decision to lead an impressive US delegation to the IISS Manama Dialogue is a mark of the unique opportunities for defence diplomacy and conflict resolution offered by the Manama Dialogue platform. US defence and security engagement with the region is important and the presence of Secretary Hagel will help to bolster consultations between the region and the US,” Dr John Chipman, Director-General and Chief Executive of the IISS said.