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..
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