The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani addressing the opening session of the fourth Munich Security Conference (MSC) Core Group Meeting at Ritz-Carlton Doha, yesterday.
DOHA: The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani said yesterday that a new world order is emerging after the Arab revolutions and it is futile for rulers in the region to try to resist the wave of change.
Addressing the opening session of the fourth Munich Security Conference (MSC) Core Group Meeting here, the Prime Minister called on Israel to remove all its nuclear weapons and said dialogue is the only way to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue.
“We gather here in Doha at the crossroads between East and West, amidst a world, a region experiencing dramatic and profound change. We are seeing a new world order emerge, with power shifts apparent and a wide variety of state and non-state actors influencing events that affect us all,” he said.
“Over two years ago, rumblings heard over many decades became a wave of popular sentiment crashing over accepted orthodoxies. The Arab Spring was an unforeseen political catalyst for many leaders and its effects are not reversible nor is its impact complete.
“But leaders should not fear it, they should not resist it; they must work with it. There is no turning back. No system is perfect and, similarly, there is no system that cannot benefit from further refinement. But, what is clear is that such political development must work in league with economic and social development. It is as much a culture as it is a system,” he added.
He said that political empowerment cannot come at the expense of economic empowerment, for economic empowerment and education serve to support and foster stable political development.
“This is the path that the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has set and it is a path we are pursuing with commitment and vigour. But, you cannot uphold domestic stability without also securing regional stability.
“And regional stability is more precarious than ever. We will never support a government of one political view. We support countries, not solely the government of the day.
When governments change through an electoral process, our support will not alter. “We support the rights of all people to live in freedom and dignity, because that, alongside economic development, is the best path to stability,” the Prime Minister said.
Referring to the Syrian crisis, he said the region is faced with one of its gravest moral and humanitarian challenges.
“If we do not act to prevent the ongoing escalation of conflict (in Syria), the whole region risks being pulled into protracted instability. The historical currents rising to the fore, the savagery we are witnessing could be fatally undermining to a region on the cusp of change. So we, alongside our allies, are working to arrest this acute decline and find workable solutions to pull Syria back from a near terminal state,” the Prime Minister said.
“I am not necessarily advocating military action, but inaction is not an option. I believe we can resolve this situation if all nations act in the common interest; seeking a Syria that is stable, that respects and accounts for the rights of all who live there.”
On the nuclear issue, he said Qatar’s goal is to ensure that the region remains free of nuclear weapons.
“We should not forget that freeing the region from nuclear weapons should include Israel’s removal of its nuclear arsenal so that we can ensure a stable and secure future for all states in the region. Otherwise, the adverse consequences of the nuclear arms’ race will remain.
“Officially, Iran states that a military nuclear capability is not its goal. I sincerely hope that is the case. But, I believe, the only way we can hope to resolve this issue is through dialogue — by all concerned parties sitting together to resolve and address concerns. These discussions must be serious. They need not be public, but they must have a timetable,” he added. Talking about the Palestinian issue, the Prime Minister called for a revival of the stalled peace process.
“Secretary Kerry sees the window of opportunity on a two-state solution closing, it is a view we share. We all know what the solution is and we all must do what we can to deliver this. The process is not straightforward, but we must not be overawed by the challenge,” he added.
