Bahrain will continue its march on the path of reform - to consolidate its achievements and build a better future.

In this regard, the fourth parliamentary and municipal elections to be held in November will give Bahrainis a chance to achieve their aspirations and objectives, said Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

He was addressing the 69th session of the UN General Assembly last night.

“Our choices in Bahrain are clear, our vision comprehensive and our strategy complementary to, and interactive with, our Gulf, Arab and international contexts,” said Shaikh Khalid.

“Bahrain always seeks to promote stability, peace, security, development and the protection of human rights.

“It rejects and condemns terrorism, violence and hatred and works for a society in which harmony and consensus prevail for the interest of all and for the establishment of a promising future full of opportunities and achievements for the coming generations.”

However, there are serious challenges facing the world today, said Shaikh Khalid, adding that top on the list is the rapid emergence of terror groups.

“These groups destroy Islamic values under the pretext of religion. Groups such as Al Qaeda, Islamic State and Hizbollah recruit fighters and perpetrate horrible acts,” he added.

Combating terror groups needs collective action, said Shaikh Khalid, outlining three ways by which terrorists could be fought - attacking them militarily, fighting the ideology that creates terrorists and cutting off their financing.

Shaikh Khalid cited the global forum to be held in Bahrain in November where strategies would be discussed to tackle the funding issue.

The second major challenge facing the Middle East was political instability, which he said, could be addressed through attempts to cut interference in internal affairs of nations.

“One form of such interference is the use of media, notably satellite TV channels and social media which are misused in order to distort facts and cause instability in the region,” he added.

The last challenge was the illegal occupation of territories contravening international law and UN principles. Shaikh Khalid highlighted the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Iranian occupation of the UAE islands of Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa as examples.

“If we concentrate on these very serious issues we will be on the right path of genuine sustainable development,” he said.
 

'Well-being of Bahrainis our top priority'


Bahrain will strive to maintain its global standing as a nation with very high human development, as classified by the United Nations Human Development Report, said Shaikh Khalid.

“Our objective is to achieve the well-being of Bahraini citizens and protect all those who live in the kingdom - an oasis of security and coexistence,” he said.

In this regard, he referred to His Majesty King Hamad being recently bestowed with the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding Award in recognition of his contribution to dialogue among civilisations and cultures.

Hailing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's inaugural statement, Shaikh Khalid said Bahrain welcomed his call for an urgent global climate agreement in the forthcoming Lima and Paris conferences, stressing the importance of the Green Climate Fund aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change.

Bahrain has always endeavoured to be a dynamic member of the UN, the minister said, pursuing progress towards gradual and steady reform along the path of modernisation envisioned by His Majesty.

This contributed to the early achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals and the strategies and preparation for the post-2015 work. - TradeArabia News Service