King urges dialogue to face challenges

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa today received at Al-Sakhir Palace – in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier - senior participants in the 13th Manama Dialogue, being organized by the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry.
HM the King welcomed the participants and delivered the following speech:

"Your Highnesses, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and to wish you a productive and pleasant time here.
For the past 13 years Bahrain has been proud to host the Manama Dialogue, bringing together leading policymakers from the Middle East and beyond. We do so in the belief that ultimately, dialogue is the answer to the challenges we face. Individual nations can have the most formidable armed forces and the most impressive intelligence services – but it is only through dialogue that we can understand each other better, resolve our differences and forge the path to lasting security.
Today, I would like to thank once again the International Institute of Strategic Studies and all its staff, both in London and Bahrain, for facilitating this meeting. I would also like to thank the many leaders and senior security and foreign affairs officials who have come to inform these discussions.
We meet at a time when discussion and dialogue are needed more than ever. The Middle East faces challenges which are profound and wide-reaching: from the fall-out of the conflicts in the Middle East , to cyber warfare and piracy, to extremism and terrorism.
This is a difficult chapter in the history of the Arabian Gulf. We face multiple threats – but I believe they are more than matched by our resolve to overcome them.
It is my hope that this year’s Dialogue helps to lay the foundations for all to come together in a spirit of unity and ever deeper collaboration. This is the place to form new partnerships, to engage in genuine debate and to enrich our understanding of each other. I wish you every success in these discussions, for the sake of peace and prosperity in the Middle East – and in the wider world.

Thank you."

HM the King and the participants exchanged views on the significance of the Manama dialogue and the important issues being reviewed in its various sessions and which reflect the conviction that open dialogue is the most effective means of maintaining the security and stability of the region.

Source: BNA