Crown Prince attends the opening of the 9th Mamana Dialogue

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister attended the opening dinner of the 9th Mamana Dialogue today at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Manama.

Welcoming the guests to the regional security-focused event, His Royal Highness emphasised the importance of the gathering to the process of enhancing national and regional policies on critical issues affecting security and stability in the Middle East and further afield. He also noted how developments in the region have deserved to underline the importance of direct engagement between nations and how it can help to resolve many complex issues.

His Royal Highness noted how the importance and stature of the Manama Dialogue, in its ninth year, continue to grow and he expressed his gratitude to the International Institute for Strategic Studies for organising the event.

Touching upon Syria, His Royal Highness emphasised the importance of resolving the conflict remarking that it was central to the long-term stability of the region.  He noted that recent developments pointed to the potential for a negotiated peace agreement that would end the conflict in the country.   His Royal Highness made clear that such a resolution was essential, warning that if the war were to continue to escalate it would have further grave effects on the rest of the region, given the identity-driven hue of the conflict.

His Royal Highness concluded his comments by praising the participation of all the attendees at the event and expressed his keenness for productive discussions on matters of critical importance to the long-term security and stability of the region.

The Manama Dialogue 9th IISS Regional Security Summit is being held at the Ritz Carlton in Manama from 6th-8th December 2013.