Bahrain reform strides commended

Manama, Sept. 15 (BNA): Former Turkish President Abdulla Gul commended Bahrain’s reform strides in the era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. "The landmark reform achievements led by HM the King contributed to projecting Bahrain’s civilized image in different regional and international arenas", he said, hailing the Kingdom’s success in preserving its authenticity and long-standing traditions while embracing modern values. The Turkish leader was speaking as he delivered a lecture held by the International Institute of Peace (IPI) under the theme "Regional peace achievements and ways of achieving them". He urged all countries in the region to join their efforts and unify visions so as to have more leverage in confronting challenges, warning that no country would be immune from social and economic repercussions. He stressed the importance of establishing the IPI think tank in Bahrain to serve the Middle East and North Africa and work towards averting conflicts, consolidating multilateral diplomacy and building peace. Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa stressed the crucial role of the region in spreading the culture of peace in the world. He underling mounting challenges facing the region, citing particularly the terrorist Al-Qaeda offshoot Islamic State (Daish) and Hezbollah militia, whose terrorist activities are aided and abetted by some countries in the region. He underlined the destructive role of Iran in destabilizing its neighbouring countries by training, aiding and abetting terrorists and smuggling weapons and ammunition. "We should work as unified group and help each other to protect our peoples and achieve development", he said, valuing the pivotal role of Turkey in accommodating the Syrian refugees. International Peace Institute (IPI) director Terje R?d-Larsen underlined the growing challenges in the Middle East and pointed out the dangerous repercussions of conflicts in Iraq and Iran, pointing out that wars displaced 15 million people and turned them into refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.