Crown Prince: Region must promote true foundations of stability: hope, opportunity and prosperity

Manama, Oct. 30 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today welcomed delegates from across the world to Bahrain’s 11th Manama Dialogue security conference. In partnership with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Bahrain has led the region’s foremost security conference for over ten years and the conference continues to provide a unique forum that facilitates multilateral engagement and private diplomacy in resolving conflict, he said. During the opening of the event, the Crown Prince stressed that the urgency with which solutions must be found to address the human suffering within the region has never been greater. The Crown Prince emphasised that all countries must recognise that long-term stability is built on the foundations of hope, opportunity and prosperity, and that the principles of tolerance and coexistence must inform every aspect of regional reform. The Crown Prince went on to emphasise that it is exactly these principles that are being opposed by the violent extremists in the region who distort religion in order to disrupt development. In regards to Syria, the Crown Prince said the international community must admit the difficult truth that it has collectively failed the millions of innocent people so badly affected by the civil war. The Crown Prince highlighted that the Syrian people now constitute a fifth of the 60 million people in the world displaced as a result of crises, and that international efforts to achieve a long-term political solution – which has eluded the international community for over four years – must be agreed without delay. The Crown Prince highlighted that the GCC-led efforts in Yemen demonstrate the way in which diplomatic efforts can be aligned with military collaboration in order to decisively address conflict. During the opening of the event President el-Sisi delivered the opening address, which detailed the complexity of issues currently facing the region. The Crown Prince welcomed President el-Sisi’s comments regarding the need for social and economic development to underpin stability and long-term positive change. In conclusion, the Crown Prince stressed that this year’s Manama Dialogue takes place at a crucial juncture as a number of critical issues are challenging security across the region and the world, and conveyed hope that the serious and productive discussions that take place over the next two days will make a significant contribution to solutions that foster lasting regional stability.