The 17th edition of the IISS Manama Dialogue kicked off Saturday in Bahrain with the participation of key ministers and experts to discuss the Middle East’s most pressing security challenges, peace and conflict resolution, and the US defense strategy.
The conference is held amid very important regional and international circumstances and focuses on “pluralism and the Middle East.”
It will feature seven plenary sessions that will discuss the US defense policy in the Middle East, Gulf and Asia, diplomacy and deterrence, multilateralism and regional security, conflict resolution in the region, security dynamics in the Red Sea, militias, missiles and nuclear proliferation.
The forum will last for three days, from Nov. 19 to 21, with the participation of 300 prominent figures, including senior officials in politics, defense and national security affairs, along with specialized experts representing more than fifty countries, and many regional and international companies and organizations.
Delivering the opening address, Indonesian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto talked about his country’s defense agenda for its upcoming G20 presidency.
The Manama Dialogue is organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies and represents one of the most important annual global diplomatic and security summits.
The forum seeks to contribute to strengthening dialogue and common understanding between nations, cultures and civilizations, settling conflicts and tensions through diplomatic means, thus contributing to the consolidation of regional and global peace and security and to the achievement of the UN sustainable development goals.
Key participants include US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Dato Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Malaysia’s Senior Minister and Minister of Defense, Dr. Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Sir Stephen Lovegrove, UK National Security advisor, Najla Mohammed El Mangoush, Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brett McGurk, US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, as well as other prominent figures.
The US Defense Secretary will address in his speech on Saturday the US defense policies in the region, and will hold a series of bilateral meetings with partners and allied leaders from around the world.
