Top intelligence and military chiefs will discuss the future of the region amid mounting strategic challenges resulting from upheavals underway in the region and the world at a major security conference in Bahrain this weekend.

The Eighth International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Regional Security Summit: The Manama Dialogue 2012 will bring together hundreds of senior government and security officials on Friday at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain, Hotel and Spa, said a report in our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News (GDN).

The three-day conference is being held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander.

The Foreign Ministry is a key strategic partner with the IISS in holding this major security conference.
The forum has established itself as an important platform to debate major regional and global security, political and economic issues.

The eighth edition and plenary sessions will be overshadowed by increasing security and political tensions in the region.

The session will discuss the explosive Syrian crisis and spotlight its pitfalls on regional security. The agenda will also debate counter-terrorism, security in Hormuz Strait, the impact of sectarian-motivated politics on regional security and Middle Eastern stability in addition to relations with the US.

The Crown Prince is patronising the forum out of keenness on promoting global dialogue, backing efforts to explore solutions to defuse tensions and crises and bolstering regional and international cooperation to confront future challenges.

The eighth edition of Manama Dialogue also confirms Bahrain's acknowledged status on the map of global forums and conferences.

Delegates

The GDN has learnt that among those attending are India's Deputy National Security Adviser Vijay Latha Reddy and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral Pradeep K Chatterjee along with Pakistan's Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Asif Sandila.

On the first day of the conference, private bilateral meetings will be held between ministers and officials, which will be followed by a special session titled Global Views on Syria, said the IISS on its website.

One of the four special sessions on Sunday will also focus on Syria and regional security. The Indian Embassy yesterday confirmed the attendance of Reddy and Chatterjee.

Others taking part include Sandila, who will be heading the Pakistani delegation along with Commodore Mirza Ameen, Captain Muhammad Athar Shams and defence attachŽ and Pakistani Ambassador Jauhar Saleem.

High-level delegations from the UK and US are also expected to attend. The Manama Dialogue did not take place last year along with several regional events because of the unrest.

In the seventh event held in December 2010, King Abdullah of Jordan delivered the keynote address while US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a special address. – TradeArabia News Service