Stability of Saudi, Egypt crucial for region: Gargash
abu dhabi — The fifth Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate (ADSD) kicked off in the capital on Sunday with keynote speeches by Dr Ebtesam Al Ketbi, President of Emirates Policy Centre (EPC) and Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
In the opening address, Dr Al Ketbi said the ADSD is taking a leap to a new era of think-tank’s work in the region to facilitate the work of decision-makers in a less vague and complicated environment.
“To this end, the ADSD seeks to develop and diversify methodologies of analysing key strategic security, defence, political, economic, social and cultural issues; disentangle their interaction and entanglement; grasp their dynamics and causes and predict their trajectories, impacts and outcomes,” she added.
She noted the EPC seeks to present an innovative model to understand the international and regional geostrategic and geopolitical landscape, present a new approach to the mechanisms of designing, implementing and assessing public policies in the security and defence fields as well as confronting social, political and economic dilemmas, such as identity, integration, social trust and development.
Dr Anwar Gargash in his address spoke about critical issues facing the region, including Syria, Yemen and Palestine.
“Changes in our region are taking place in a rapid and systematic global transformation,” he said. “Today, the international order is again shifting. New dangers, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and climate change have appeared, and new centres of strategic and economic powers, such as China, India and the Arab Gulf, are developing.”
Building a strong, moderate Arab centre to address common regional security challenges is already underway, he added.
“For this Arab-led approach to be successful, we must continue to develop our own capabilities,” the minister explained. “It is critical that Saudi Arabia and Egypt play a leading role in helping to steer the region in a more positive direction. Their stability is so important for the future of the whole region, and it is also why we welcome the proposal for a Middle East Strategic Alliance – it will allow countries with moderate agendas to work closely with the United States.”
He went on to say that the GCC would be an important part of this alliance. “For the GCC to return to business as usual, it is essential that all members embrace a common doctrine of non-interference in the internal affairs of others,” he added. “Since 1979, Iran has been a primary source of sectarianism in the region, expanding its development and proliferation of ballistic missiles. We need a new approach.”
Participants tackled a number of issues during the debate, with participants including Robert Malley, President and CEO of the International Crisis Group; Michael Rubin, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute; Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, Member of the House of Lords and Cliff Kupchan, Chairman of Eurasia. —