Addressing the 16th Annual Conference of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research earlier this week, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, said: “We, in the Arab world, are experiencing exceptional circumstances that will have significant and long-term implications for the region as whole.”
“Keeping this in mind, we must emphasize the importance of this strategic platform and that of similar research centers and think-tanks. We are all optimistic that the conference will constitute valuable means for exploring the future in the light of changes we are now witnessing, and I sincerely hope we will capitalize on this opportunity to formulate concerning the future of the region,” said the UAE Foreign Minister.
On the sidelines of the conference, GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah said: “What is happening in Libya now is not interference. It is to protect the civilians in the country from bloodshed. These ongoing operations are to stop the bloodshed in Libya.”
About Bahrain, he said the GCC member countries sent troops based on mutual agreements to protect each other. He also flayed Iranian involvement in Bahrain and said it would not be tolerated.
“It is the Arabian Peninsula Force that has been sent to Bahrain, which itself is part of it. The forces are there to protect the vital economical assets and facilities as well as the people of the island country,” Al Attiyah said.
