H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim Bin Jabr Al Thani iaugurated the Conference

The address of H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim Bin Jabr Al Thani First Deputy of Prime Minister,Minister of Foreign Affairs : His Excellency, Jeep De Hoop Scheffer, Secretary General of NATO. Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear presents, It is honorable for me-on behalf of His Highness Sheikh Tameem bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani ? The Heir Apparent, to open this Conference. I have the pleasure to welcome you here in Doha. At the first, I would like to appreciate the successful role of NATO in securing the European societies, protecting their acquisitions, guaranteeing their security and stability in a difficult period of human history distinguished with conflicts and cold war. It is obviously that realization of security and peace represent a natural human instinct for different nations in order to have suitable standard of life . This fact is prominent in the human history within different ages despite the differences of means and ways to reach it by human communities different in time and place. Without security, the stability can not be attained, in consequence the effective means for developing the human life are lacking. And opportunities for maintaining the realized acquisitions in the life are diminishing. In Gulf area we are utterly aware of essential reasons and elements that made our area important for the superpowers in the East and the West within long ages. The importance of our area refers to the rich raw materials vital to the world, its economy and its existence such as; crude oil and natural gas. The area has also geographical special location which forms a link between the continents, oceans, civilizations and cultures of the world. This launches group of political, security, social and cultural impacts that exceed the limits and the neighborhood of our area . Therefore the State of Qatar, which is distinguished with its external policy by virtue of H.H Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, has assured the peaceful co existence, and the international cooperation for providing the security, peace and stability based on mutual respect, common interests in accordance with international legal rules and values of tolerance, justice and openness . Qatar takes this Conference into its highest consideration, since the Conference has direct link with the presence and the future of our area, we believe that our common views to be reached for serving the objectives will guarantee the success in our active endeavours to attain the progress, the prosperity and protection of development dreamt by our societies. The work to institute and root the stability in the area requires-undoubtedly-the protection of this area against current and potential external risks that arised from the circumstances which the area have undergone within the two last decades, with the cooperation of the affecting parties to realize the security and the mutual interest of the related parties. Ladies and Gentlemen, It is well known that NATO has witnessed an important transformation in the nature of its objectives and missions after the cold war period as well as the experience accumulated up todate from the NATO practices. The most distinguished transformation for Arab world and Gulf area is the importance given by NATO to the area and its endeavour to make cooperative relations with the area countries. This role was clearly determined in the statement issued by Istanbul Summit held in 24th June 2004, which resulted in the launch of Istanbul initiative for cooperation with the desiring countries of the broader middle east beginning with the countries of the Gulf Cooperative Council for useful bilateral relations for both parties to enhancing security and stability. NATO has declared that such initiative concentrates on the practical cooperation, so the NATO can give an additional value especially in field of defense, security and disasters management in peace time. Despite the said initiative is different from other ones which concerning other international players but it takes them into consideration and form an integral part. Please allow me ? humbly ? to present some essential points that we consider of special importance from our perspective : ? The political security can not be realized without economic security, for this reason we should go seriously in the process of democracy and political reform in the line with the process of comprehensive development in different areas . Here, the main challenge lies internally. Some indications explain that the countries of the area have started to face such challenge with different degrees. ? Regionally, there are challenges represented in chronic and new conflicts waiting for solution . in the first comes the issue of Palestine, dispute in the middle east, realization of stability of Iraq with the agreement of all parties, solution for the problem of WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) to be disarmed and the area be evacuated of the said weapons in this respect, the internal effort should concentrate on the solutions based on the international law, UN compact, international legalism resolutions and principles of justice and fair. ? If the Gulf security shall remain finally the responsibility of its people and shall depend basically on building of mutual confidence and self-reliance, it will be practically hard to neglect the international challenges and developments after the globalization with its expanding zone has become an existing fact in our time. This makes the sole regional vision for the conception of security deficient to fulfill the objective if international security arrangements are not taken by all parties related to the comprehensive security. ? The Gulf region has its special circumstances and its own ambitions that should be taken into consideration and importance when talking about the NATO's role in the Gulf security. ? Every one knows the factual justification for the foreign military existence, U.S. and other in Gulf countries, especially in the need for protection against threats and consequences arised from first and second gulf wars. And also to guarantee the stability and security of all nations of the area. ? The trend of NATO in "Istanbul Initiative for cooperation" as mentioned is the practical cooperation with the desiring countries. Accordingly, the effort of NATO can stream in many practical activities such as; vocational training to face catastrophic situations, protecting peace, co operation against smuggling, coordination in intelligence activities and internal security operations, training of armed forces in the field of intelligence, exchange of information and intelligence analysis as well as inter-system security relations and other practical activities. ? In my humble consideration, the mutual interest for all can be realized with collective responsibility on the grounds of the conception of the strategic partnership for all parties. ? The strategic partnership requires an agreed upon comprehensive program providing the practical solutions for security needs and to be implemented on base of clear cooperation built on mutual respect of the two parties interests. From all these points and from the other points that can be crystallized on the grounds of principles I have mentioned, I think that the horizons and future steps can be determined in form of integrated program specifying the priorities and considering the special conditions and circumstance as well as the pillars of the common interests for all. I have the deepest hope that your discussions shall end with reaching mutual vision which realizing the welfare of both parties. Thank you..