ABU DHABI, 3rd October 2021 (WAM) – A number of ministers and officials from the United Arab Emirates have participated in the World Policy Conference, hosted in Abu Dhabi, to share the geopolitical, cultural, and economic priorities of the country.
Founded in 2008 by Thierry de Montbrial, Chairman of the French Institute of International Relations, the World Policy Conference held its fourteenth edition from October 1-3, 2021 in the UAE for the first time. The World Policy Conference brings together top-level decision-makers, academics, and opinion leaders from over 40 countries to discuss solutions to contemporary global challenges and forge bonds between key international actors.
UAE officials participating in the World Policy Conference included Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State; Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; and Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi, Director of the International Security Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Dr. Gargash participated in a discussion with Thierry de Montbrial on geopolitical issues on Saturday, October 2. During his participation, Gargash addressed regional and international challenges, noting “Confrontation is not the way forward. Rather, conversation is the way forward. The UAE is exerting all efforts to maintain dialogue between states. The Abraham Accords are emblematic of this: the Accords have been a success in breaking the psychological barrier to peace and strengthening the economic and people-to-people benefits that all can reap.”
“The UAE has historically played a significant role as a mediator and facilitator, and our priority is on maintaining the fabric of trust in the international community in order to encourage positive engagement between states,” Dr. Gargash added.
In his participation in a workshop on Africa held on Saturday, Sheikh Shakhbout Al Nahyan reviewed the UAE’s efforts to strengthen partnerships throughout the African continent, pointing to the ways in which the UAE has expanded economic and political relations with African states in recent years.
Sheikh Shakhbout remarked, “We are excited to enter a new era, post COVID-19, when we will be able to build stronger partnerships across Africa with the hopes of creating a better future for our countries and regions a future built on stability, security, and sustainability. We understand that the only way to achieve this is through dialogue, open channels of communication, the exchange of information and knowledge, and above all, the development of strategic partnerships that are mutually beneficial.”
Almarar, during a session entitled “Middle East and External Powers” held on Sunday, October 3, underscored the UAE’s commitment to reinforcing regional stability and security through a multilateral, rules-based approach in coordination with its international partners.
In his remarks, Almarar stated, “We have to acknowledge that there are legitimate concerns and legitimate interest among world powers in the development of the Middle East insofar as security and stability are concerned There is consensus among Arab countries that any malicious intervention in crises in the region can make a very complex situation more complex. Therefore, we feel it is necessary to promote stability, security, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.”
Al Hashemy attended virtually to highlight the UAE’s hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai, stating, “I am proud to share with you all that yesterday’s opening of Expo 2020 Dubai was one that exemplified the years of hard work and aspirations of the UAE and all participating countries and organizations. With 192 participating countries, Expo 2020 Dubai will act as a global platform dedicated to bringing people, nations, and communities together to build bridges, enable action, and inspire real-life solutions to real-world challenges for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. It is also an opportunity for humanity to convene in the spirit of hope, optimism, and positive change for the future.”
Al Zaabi participated in a session on “Afghanistan and the Sahel” on Sunday. During his participation, Al Zaabi reviewed the UAE’s efforts to address the humanitarian and security situations in areas currently experiencing conflict, remarking, “The historic importance of Afghanistan cannot be understated, nor can its impact on the regional climate for security and stability.”
سلطت صحيفة «أراب نيوز» الضوء على خروج مصر من مواجهة الاضطرابات المختلفة وإعادة نفسها من جديد كقوة لايستهان بها في الساحة الإقليمية.
وقالت الصحيفة إن مصر شهدت عقدًا من الاضطرابات منذ 2011 ، حيث واجهت ثورتين وضغوطًا بيئية، ومؤخراً التحديات الاقتصادية لفيروس كورونا كوفيد -19 ومع ذلك فإن مصر الدولة العربية الأكثر اكتظاظًا بالسكان، وتمتد عبر القارتين الأفريقية والآسيوية، خرجت من الاضطرابات بمزيد من المشاركة مع المنطقة والعالم، حيث تم الإعلان عن ترشيح مصر لاستضافة مؤتمر المناخ للأمم المتحدة COP27 لعام 2022 – وهو أمر لم يكن متاح لمصر من قبل.
وقال نبيل فهمي وزير الخارجية المصري السابق، خلال مناقشة في مؤتمر السياسة العالمية الذي عقد في وقت سابق: «ما رأيته مؤخرًا، في العام الماضي على وجه الخصوص، هو أن مصر أكثر الدول انخراطًا وبشكل إيجابي في القضايا الإقليمية».
وتظهر أحدث التوقعات الاقتصادية أن مصر تدخل الآن مرحلة التعافي بعد ضربات وباء كوفيد -19.
وأضاف: «هناك دليل واضح على التقدم الاقتصادي، حتى في فترة ما بعد الجائحة نتطلع إلى تحقيق نمو بنسبة 4 إلى 5% في العام المقبل وهو أمر مهم».
كما قالت منى مكرم عبيد أستاذة العلوم السياسية بالجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة في نفس المؤتمر: «هناك الآن بصيص من الأمل يظهر في اكتشاف للغاز الطبيعي، مع إمكانية تعزيز الاقتصاد المتعثر في مصر وبناء تحالف تجاري جديد مع دول شرق البحر المتوسط».
وتابعت: «حتى الآن “ظهر” هو أكبر حقل غاز تم اكتشافه في منطقة البحر الأبيض المتوسط، مع ما يقرب من 30 تريليون قدم مكعب من الاحتياطيات، وبدأ الحقل – الذي تديره شركة إيني الإيطالية – الإنتاج في ديسمبر 2017».
وأضافت: «هناك تقدم ملحوظ ومصر تخطو خطوات واسعة في الإصلاح المؤسسي، وتعزيز سيادة القانون».
وأشادت بالوثيقة الجديدة في مجال حقوق الإنسان، قائلة: “سيكون لها تأثير إيجابي على جوانب عديدة من الحياة المصرية”.
فترة حكم الإخوان
وتابعت الصحيفة أن فترة حكم الإخوان في مصر شهدت عدة كوارث هزت البلاد مع صعود المخلوع محمد مرسي إلى السلطة.
وفي عام 2013، وبعد عام من تنصيب مرسي خرج الشعب المصري لرافض حكم الإخوان، مجبرا مرسي على التنحي وتصنيف جماعة الإخوان المسلمين كمنظمة إرهابية.
الدور المصري في حل أزمة ليبيا
كانت ليبيا إحدى الجبهات الدبلوماسية التي أحرزت مصر فيها تقدمًا ملحوظًا العام الماضي، حيث تحولت ليبيا في العقد الماضي إلى ملاذًا لمهربي البشر والمتطرفين
Le Premier ministre ivoirien Patrick Achi a participé à l’ouverture de la 14ème édition de la World Policy Conference, le 1er octobre 2021 à Abu Dhabi (Émirats Arabes Unis). Représentant le Président Alassane Ouattara, le chef du gouvernement a plaidé pour un financement important des économies africaines.
La World Policy Conference est une initiative de l’Ifri, l’Institut français des relations internationales créé par le professeur émérite français, Thierry de Montbrial en 1979. Elle réunit des personnalités de haut niveau venues des quatre coins du monde dont les dirigeants politiques et économiques, chercheurs et journalistes, dans l’esprit de tolérance seul propice à la recherche du bien commun.
Dans son discours au cours de cette conférence d’ouverture, Patrick Achi a expliqué les enjeux du financement des pays africains qui ont subi les affres sociaux-économiques de la crise sanitaire : «Les pays du continent sont dans
une situation post-Covid encore plus exigeante avec la baisse tendancielle de la croissance. Il faut permettre aux pays africains d’accéder à des ressources de grande ampleur et à faible coût», a-t-il indiqué.
Selon le chef du gouvernement, ces ressources permettront d’investir dans les secteurs sociaux et dans les infrastructures, afin de créer un écosystème favorable à l’accélération du développement de l’Afrique.
Rappelons que les assises de la WPC qui se tiennent du 1er au 3 octobre 2021 dans la capitale des Emirats Arabes Unis et portent essentiellement sur les politiques économiques pratiquées dans le monde. La Côte d’Ivoire qui est sur la voie de la transformation profonde de son économie est très attendue à ce rendez-vous mondial.
ABU DHABI, 6th October, 2021 (WAM) — Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, has received Patrick Achi, Prime Minister of Ivory Coast, to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral ties and a host of issues of mutual interest.
The Ivory Coast’s Prime Minister is in Abu Dhabi to participate in the World Policy Conference.
Sheikh Shakhbout said UAE-Ivory Coast relations were progressing steadily, noting tremendous potential and opportunities to push them forward in the best interest of the two countries.
For his part, Patrick Achi expressed his pride in the strong relationship that binds his country with the UAE, pointing out that there are many opportunities to advance bilateral ties.
General view of vehicles stuck in a traffic jam amidst street vendors in the central Attaba district of Egypt’s capital Cairo on This picture taken on Feb. 22, 2021. (File/AFP) (1/2)
Nabil Fahmy, Egypt’s former foreign minister, speaks on the fringes of the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi. (Supplied) (2/2)
Egypt is emerging from a decade of upheaval that began with the overthrow of Mubarak
From Libya to Arab-Israeli peace, Cairo is reasserting its authority on the regional stage
BOGOTA/ABU DHABI: Egypt has experienced a decade of upheaval since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, contending with two revolutions, environmental pressures, and more recently the economic challenges of COVID-19.
And yet, this most populous of Arab countries, straddling the African and Asian continents, has emerged from the turbulence with a new sense of purpose and a desire for greater engagement with the region and the world.
It has been announced that Egypt is a nominee to host the COP27 UN climate conference for 2022 — a distinction that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.
This October not only marks the 48th anniversary of the 1973 war with Israel; 40 years ago on October 6, President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by Islamist extremists during the annual victory parade in Cairo.
For many in the Middle East, Sadat’s positive legacy is a work in progress: The Egypt-Israel peace process, Egyptian economic development and political liberalization, the Palestinian peace process, and overcoming the challenge of violent extremism.
“What I have seen recently, in this last year in particular, is that Egypt is much more engaged in trying to determine movement on regional issues,” Nabil Fahmy, former Egyptian foreign minister, said during a discussion at the World Policy Conference held earlier in October in Abu Dhabi.
“Egypt faced a couple of hurdles. But (look at) the strength of its system. I doubt very few countries in the region, and some abroad, frankly, could have survived two revolutions in three years and come out standing.”
The latest economic forecasts show that Egypt is now entering the recovery phase following the blows of the COVID-19 pandemic. “There’s clear evidence of economic progress,” Fahmy said. “Even post-pandemic we’re looking at 4 to 5 percent growth this coming year, which is significant.”
His observations were echoed by Egyptian politician and academic Mona Makram-Ebeid at the same conference.
“Now there is a ray of hope emerging and it comes in the form of natural gas discovery, with a potential to boost Egypt’s limping economy and build a new commercial alliance with eastern Mediterranean countries and Israel.
“Egypt struck the jackpot in 2015 with the discovery of a giant reservoir known as Zohr, which has developed into one of the largest single gas fields in the Middle East.”
To date, Zohr is the biggest gas field discovered in the Mediterranean region, with nearly 30 trillion cubic feet of reserves. The field — which is operated by Italian Eni — started production in December 2017.
From all accounts, there has been marked progress in more than just the economic field. Egypt is also making strides in institutional reform, bolstering the rule of law and addressing international concerns over its rights record.
“Just three weeks ago, we issued a new human rights doctrine,” Fahmy said. “It’s not perfect. Human rights doctrines and applications anywhere in the world are not perfect. But it’s tremendous progress. And it’s a reflection that we want to move forward.
People shop from a stall selling Ramadan lanterns along a main street in the in the northern suburb of Shubra (home to a large Christian population) of Egypt’s capital Cairo on April 12, 2021, at the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
“Short term, it’s going to be a challenge. Medium term, I’m much more confident. But, as Egyptians, given our weight, given the role we have to play, I also want us to be able to look long term and engage with our neighbors.”
Makram-Ebeid praised the new doctrine, saying that it would have a positive impact on several aspects of Egyptian life.
“It will give access to job opportunities, education, healthcare and religious freedoms,” she said.
Egypt’s latest decade of upheaval began on Jan. 25, 2011, when thousands of protesters spilled onto the streets of Cairo to demand change. Aggressive police tactics to quell the protests culminated in calls for Mubarak’s removal.
Egyptian demonstrators tear a portrait of President Hosni Mubarak during a protest against his rule in the northern port city of Alexandria on January 25, 2011. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo by – / AFP)
When he was finally toppled from power, young Egyptians felt their moment had come to create a fairer society. In reality, it was only the beginning of a fresh period of discontent and uncertainty. The country was rocked by new economic calamities and the rise to power of Mohamed Morsi — an Islamist politician affiliated with the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
The “second Egyptian revolution” came in 2013, a year after Morsi’s inauguration. The resumption of street protests that summer saw Morsi forced from office and the Muslim Brotherhood designated as a terrorist organization.
The following year, Morsi’s defense minister, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, won the presidential election and was sworn into office.
“The basic challenge between the Muslim Brotherhood and the rest of the Egyptian system was about our identity,” Fahmy told the WPC event.
“Are we Egyptians including some Muslim Brotherhood, or are we the Muslim Brotherhood that has some Egyptians? That’s an existential threat and that’s why the clash happened quickly. Not only political influencers, but also the middle class were actually against the form of government that was being formed by the Muslim Brotherhood when they came into power.”
Egypt’s deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi sists behind the defendants cage during a trial at the police academy court in Cairo on November 5, 2014. Morsi is on trial in several cases and faces a death sentence if convicted of espionage and terrorism related charges. AFP PHOTO / STR (Photo by STR / AFP)
The Brotherhood was founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan Al-Banna, and later spread throughout the Middle East into Sudan, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon and across North Africa, where its affiliates have had varying degrees of success.
“The Muslim Brotherhood was born in Egypt, so there will be some trends in Egypt. But the reality is, if you try to build for the future, then our youth want to be engaged in the world,” Fahmy said.
“A dogmatic ideology doesn’t fit Egypt. We need to engage with the world, and I think that ideology is a threat to modernity.
“The influence of the Brotherhood today in Egypt is highly diminished and the government, currently — whether one agrees or disagrees with some details of policy is irrelevant — is an activist government trying to respond to the basic, immediate needs of the people.”
Egypt’s greater emphasis on regional and global engagement has been evident in recent months. Besides recent talks with senior Iraqi and Syrian officials, Egypt has also made diplomatic headway with its rivals. “We have engaged in a dialogue with Turkey,” Fahmy said. “It’s slow, (so) don’t be overly optimistic.”
One diplomatic front where Egypt has made noteworthy progress in the last year is Libya, which in the past decade has become a haven for human smugglers and religious extremists.
During the same revolutionary wave that overthrew Mubarak, the Libyan people rose up against their long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi. However, a decade on from his downfall, the oil-rich country remains mired in chaos and political gridlock.
Since the two countries share a porous desert border, the extremists based in Libya have, time and again, succeeded in carrying out attacks against Egyptian security forces and Christians.
In recent months, Egypt has engaged with Libya’s feuding parties to ensure that national elections are held in December as scheduled. Cairo believes a fair and transparent election will help put its war-torn neighbor on the path to stability and recovery.
Fahmy says there has been good progress on the Libya issue, but he doubts the elections scheduled for Dec. 24 by the country’s recently installed Government of National Unity will go ahead as planned. “I would love to be proven wrong,” he said.
Fahmy is well regarded after his years as a career diplomat and academic. He is the founding dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Distinguished University Professor of Practice in International Diplomacy at the American University in Cairo. He has dedicated many years of study to Arab-Israeli diplomacy, making him a leading authority on the peace process.
Last summer, the UAE became the first Arab country to sign the Abraham Accords, a series of US-brokered diplomatic agreements inked between Israel and Arab states. The Aug. 13, 2020 signing marked the first time an Arab country had publicly established relations with Israel since Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat (L), Israeli Premier Menachem Begin (R) and US President Jimmy Carter (C) shake hands after a press conference in the East Room of the White House, on September 17, 1978. Egypt began peace initiatives with Israel in late 1977. A year later, with the help of Carter, terms of peace between Egypt and Israel were negotiated at Camp David. A formal treaty, signed 26 March 1979 in Washington, D.C., granted full recognition of Israel by Egypt, opened trade relations between the two counties, and limited Egyptian military buildup in the Sinai. Israel agreed to return to final portion of occupied Sinai to Egypt. (Photo by – / FILES-CONSOLIDATED NEWS PICTURES / AFP)
Although the agreements have shown potential, critics say they have done little to bring the Palestinians any closer to statehood. And while several governments have embraced the accords, the normalization of ties with Israel has been harder to sell to Arab publics.
“You can’t overemphasize that the Palestinian issue, per se, is a very emotional issue throughout the Arab world and therefore reactions to it tend to be very strong in either way,” Fahmy said.
“My point is the following — and I have said this to my Palestinian colleagues — I understand your concern, I understand your fear, but focus on building your case rather than on criticizing somebody. Because, in the case of those who signed the accords, even if we don’t agree with them, they have all committed to helping establish and support a Palestinian state.
“So, my recommendation to Arabs: Be a bit sensitive in the steps you take. You will have to face that this is sensitive, you will get some criticism.
“I would tell my Arab colleagues, I would tell the Palestinians, come up with ideas on how to move forward politically, and don’t let the political process die.”
Mona Makram Abed with President El-Sisi, Dec. 4 2016. (Facebook)
Given Egypt’s renewed assertiveness on the regional stage, Fahmy hopes other Arab countries will follow Egypt’s lead and come to the negotiating table to speak frankly about the way forward. “Arabs are lovely in their ability to agree. Our problem is our inability to disagree,” he said.
“Let me seize this occasion to call on Egypt and the Arab countries: We should all speak much more about our vision for the future, for the region, and what we want to see for the Middle East as a whole in concrete terms.
“We don’t have to agree, but we need to engage in a dialogue and let’s see how much agreement and how much disagreement we have. Because allowing others to set the agenda is very dangerous.”
Main objective of visit to GCC capitals is “to advance EU’s strategic cooperation with Gulf
Borrell expresses EU’s “support for ongoing normalization of relations within the Gulf family”
RIYADH: A trained aeronautical engineer, economist and professor of mathematics, Josep Borrell entered politics in the 1970s during Spain’s turbulent transition to democracy. Before he was appointed high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs in December 2019, he held a number of ministerial posts in the socialist governments of Felipe Gonzales.
In a blog post on Thursday, Borrell described his visit to Riyadh, with stops in Doha and Abu Dhabi, as an opportunity to explore the response to “significant political change” in “a dynamic region” and “develop new forms of cooperation” between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Below is the full transcript of an interview he gave to Arab News on the eve of his visit.
Q: Can you tell us about the main issues on the agenda of your visit to the GCC and, in particular, your meetings with the Saudi leadership?
A: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are very important partners for the EU. I already met or spoke to many of my counterparts from the Gulf, but this my first visit to the region as EU high representative.
My main objective is to advance the EU’s strategic cooperation with Gulf partners on global, regional and bilateral matters of common interest. This includes climate change, but also global access to vaccines and supporting the “green economy.”
I also want to stress the EU’s unwavering support for the ongoing normalization of relations within the Gulf family after a rift that lasted three long years and ended last January at the AlUla summit.
The GCC is one of our oldest partners. After more than 30 years of EU-GCC partnership, we should use the current momentum to give our cooperation a more strategic orientation.
Foreign Policy chief of the European Union Josep Borrell holds a press briefing alongside Qatari Foreign Minister (unseen) in Doha, on September 30, 2021. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
In my meetings with Gulf partners in New York last week on the margins of the UN General Assembly, I shared my intention to convene a joint cooperation council at ministerial level early next year — during the Saudi presidency of the GCC.
My meetings in Riyadh will be an essential part of my visit. Saudi Arabia is an important actor on the global and multilateral stage, and I trust that its robust commitments at the upcoming COP26 will inspire other energy producers.
We will discuss how best to support Saudi Arabia’s domestic transformation and economic diversification, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030 and with the involvement of European companies.
With Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, I intend to sign a cooperation arrangement that reflects our mutual wish to further intensify our cooperation, and will be a useful instrument to do so.
Q: You recently met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in New York. What assurances did he give you about Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear pact?
A: As coordinator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), I have always been clear: We must go back to full implementation of the deal, which means a return of the US into the agreement with the lifting of related US sanctions and Iran’s full compliance with its nuclear commitments.
The nuclear deal remains a key security achievement. Without it, Iran could have developed nuclear weapons by now, adding yet another source of instability to the region.
Obviously, I am concerned about the negative trajectory of Iranian nuclear activities. That is why it is crucial to resume negotiations in Vienna as soon as possible and from where we left off on June 20.
My message to Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian in New York City was simple: Diplomacy is the solution; let’s go back to Vienna without delay.
European High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell gives a doorstep statement as he arrives for the informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Brdo pri Kranju on September 2, 2021. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP)
Borrell, seen here in September, told Arab News he was concerned about the negative trajectory of Iranian nuclear activities. (AFP/File Photo)
Q: Do you get a sense that the new Iranian government, despite its hardline reputation, wants to improve its relations with its Gulf Arab neighbors as well as the West?
A: Diplomacy offers the only real path to address the open issues in the Gulf and among neighbors. I cannot speak for the intentions of other governments, but I have noted more dialogue between countries in the region.
The Baghdad Conference (for Cooperation and Partnership) on August 28 and the bilateral talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran are such examples. These are welcome developments and I was happy to participate in the follow-up event to the conference in New York recently.
The EU is ready to support the countries in the Gulf region to build a shared sense of security and cooperation. In this sense, the (Iran) nuclear deal is also crucial.
I am still convinced that if we do manage to preserve the JCPOA and ensure its full implementation, it can become a stepping stone toward addressing other shared concerns, including those related to regional security.
Q: AUKUS — the recently formed trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK and the US — was badly received by some in the EU. How could it have been handled better?
A: There was clear disappointment in Europe about the way this issue was handled. We are friends and allies. And friends and allies talk to each other.
Since the announcement of AUKUS, we have talked to our US partners. I had a good meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month in New York City.
We now consider this situation clarified. Proof of this is the joint statement between (French) President (Emmanuel) Macron and US President (Joe) Biden, in which the US acknowledged that the situation would have benefited from open consultations among allies.
Josep Borrell used a blog post to describe his visit to Riyadh, with stops in Doha and Abu Dhabi for the World Policy Conference (pictured). (Supplied)
We now have to move forward. The EU and the US cannot afford to be divided. We are unique partners working side by side on many important global topics such as health and climate change, working for our democracies.
These recent events also clearly underline the strength of European unity and remind us once again of the need to reflect on how to build, strengthen and advance European strategic autonomy.
Europe must be more united in terms of security and defense. If the European Union pooled its defense capabilities, and avoided overlaps, we would be a lot more efficient in many of the world’s crises.
Q: The chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan has created an image of the West as uncoordinated, divided and unreliable. Do you think the solution lies in higher European defense spending instead of continued reliance on American firepower?
A: It is not a question of choosing one or the other, but, certainly, Afghanistan has shown in a striking way that deficiencies in EU capacity to act autonomously come at a price.
I want to be clear: Acting autonomously does not equal moving away from our transatlantic partnership. On the contrary, a stronger European Union in defense means a stronger partner for the US and for NATO. It means being more capable of acting together with partners wherever possible, and alone when necessary if our interests and values we stand for are at stake. The only way forward is to combine our forces and strengthen not only our capabilities, but also our will to act.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell removes his face mask prior to speaking during a press conference following the informal EU Foreign Ministers meeting, with a main focus on Afghanistan at the EU Delegation on September 20, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP)
During his interview with Arab News, Borrell said Saudi Arabia remains an important actor on the global and multilateral stage. (AFP/File Photo)
This means enhancing our capacity to respond to hybrid challenges, covering key capability gaps, including logistic transport, raising the level of readiness through joint military training and developing new tools.
We have discussed these kinds of proposals for many years. I hope that, paired with recent developments, this will create enough common understanding of the challenges and threats we are facing to mobilize the common will of the member states.
Q: You have said there is still ‘a wide demand and compelling need for Europe to speak up and back up its positions with the instruments and forms of leverage we have.’ Has such an approach worked in Libya, for instance? Will it work with the Taliban?
A: Libya and Afghanistan are very different. With regard to Libya, the EU and its member states agree on the need to hold elections on December 24 and to implement the ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces. To this end, we have aligned a number of instruments, including technical support for elections and civilian missions in support of the ceasefire agreement and to implement the arms embargo.
Afghanistan finds itself at a crossroads after decades of conflict. We have to provide strong support to the Afghan people, including those present in the region. EU countries have set clear conditions that will determine the level of engagement with the Taliban. Talks with the Taliban are necessary to prevent a humanitarian tragedy and assist in the protection of the vulnerable.
Those talks do not equal recognition. This will be an operational engagement and how much we engage will depend on the behavior of this caretaker government.
Q: Do you think the EU and the GCC are more or less on the same page on the major Middle Eastern and Central Asian issues of the day — from Iran and Middle Eastern refugees to Yemen and Afghanistan?
A: I think we all are interested in the stability, security and well-being of our own citizens and our neighbors. This should be a common objective of all our efforts and cooperation.
When it comes to Yemen, the international community, including the GCC, is unanimous: We want to see an end to the fighting and to the suffering of the Yemeni people. I will engage thoroughly on Yemen during my (Riyadh) visit.
On Afghanistan there is a broad international consensus that the country cannot become an exporter of instability, terrorism and migration flows. And it is the countries in the region who are affected first by any negative spillover of the situation (in Afghanistan).
This is why the EU tries to engage and coordinate its engagement and activities with partners in affected regions. Big challenges can be effectively and sustainably solved only by joint efforts.
The Qatari top diplomat discussed with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince “ways to enhance ties to serve the interests of their nations.”
Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. (REUTERS)
DUBAI–Qatar’s foreign minister visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he met Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Wednesday, state news agency WAM reported, as the two Gulf states work on improving bilateral ties after years of a bitter rivalry.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani was received by the crown prince in Abu Dhabi and discussed “ways to enhance them (ties) to serve the interests of their nations,” WAM reported.
Wednesday’s meeting followed a similar visit in August by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nayhan, UAE’s National Security Adviser and a brother of Sheikh Mohamed, to Doha where he met Qatar’s emir.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt agreed in January to end the dispute that had led them to sever ties with Qatar in 2017 over accusations that Doha supported “terrorism”, a reference to Islamist groups. Doha denied the charges.
Riyadh and Cairo have led efforts to mend ties and appointed ambassadors to Qatar, while Abu Dhabi and Manama have yet to do so. All but Bahrain have restored travel and trade links.
The Gulf states have been pursuing a more moderate approach to defuse regional tensions, including with their rivals Iran and Turkey, as the United States reduced its military power in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE rely heavily on Washington for their security.
Earlier last week, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told a conference in Abu Dhabi that there was uncertainty about the United States commitment to the region and concern over a “looming cold war” between Washington and Beijing.
He said the UAE is trying to manage long-running rivalries with Iran and Turkey through dialogue to avoid any new confrontations in the region as the Arab Gulf state homes in on its economy post COVID-19.
“We will see in the coming period really what is going on with regards to America’s footprint in the region. I don’t think we know yet, but Afghanistan is definitely a test and to be honest it is a very worrying test,” Gargash said.
“Part of what we need to do is manage our region better. There is a vacuum and whenever there is a vacuum, there is trouble,” he told the World Policy Conference.
The UAE has moved to reduce tensions by engaging with Qatar, Iran and Turkey, whose influence it had moved to counter in conflicts in Yemen, Libya and elsewhere in the region.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia believe the 2015 nuclear pact was flawed for not addressing Iran’s missiles programme and its network of regional proxies. The UAE has also moved to combat Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood which Gulf states see as a threat to their dynastic system of rule.
“Turkey’s recent re-examination of its policies towards Egypt, the Brotherhood and towards Saudi Arabia and others is very welcome. And I think for us to come mid-way and reach out is very important,” Gargash said.
“The Turks have been very positive about what we are saying to them,” he said. “Am I very positive about the reach out to Iran? Yes I am. Am I very positive that Iran will change its regional course? I have to say I am more realistic here, but I am betting Iran is also concerned about vacuum and escalation.”
Gargash said the pandemic placed non-political priorities at the forefront and that a main concern now was being caught in between the United States and China.
“We are all worried very much by a looming cold war. That is bad news for all of us, because the idea of choosing is problematic in the international system, and I think this is not going to be an easy ride,” he said.
*Prime Minister Edi Rama’s address at formal opening ceremony of World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi:
Dear friends!
As you can imagine, I am among the tallest prime ministers in the world and therefore the temptation to talk about the world is so big, but my country is among the smallest in the world. So, the need to talk about it very big too.
I would try to resist the temptation and fulfil this need without being boring and I hope for your patience to have a certain success.
I very much believe that the globalization is here to stay as long as we live in the same planet, as long as we are warmed under the same sun, as long as dependence on deepening our interconnections has become unstoppable.
Our genuine interest in beyond the borders cooperation is growing bigger despite the reluctances and rejections and multilateralism is and will remain the instrument for cooperation.
The problems we are dealing with today are increasingly more inter-related. Let’s us consider the climate change and, by the way, you all know that global warming is not just a climate issue; it is a development issue, it is a security issue, an issue that affects the strength or the weakening of the world peace as a whole and peace in various regions. It is an issue with a long-term impact. Therefore, the more effectively we deal with it, the better to prevent the natural disasters, fires, floods, prolonged drought, rising water levels, loss of land etcetera.
The COVID-19 pandemic of today, a global issue, has taken so many lives compared to the losses in the world wars. Are we able as isolated nations to fight this plague of modern time?
We saw it and the answer is of course, we are not. The same logic, in my view, applies to the security issue, the fight against international terrorism, the cyber war, to the drinking water and food supply to all, to the goals for a sustainable and long-term development with the aim of leaving no one behind and so on and so forth.
At these times of global challenges, which are also times for trust challenges, a global approach is required. The commitment of all of us within the structures we have set up is required. And for sure, adapting these structures to meet the today’s challenges is a must and not in a homogeneous but rather in a harmonic way, I might say.
Albania believes that the renewal of a profound commitment to impact this multilateralism is more necessary than ever before for us to deliver on peace, democracy, the human rights and development. Within this frame, we strongly support the vision and the ambitious reform agenda of the United Nations system and that of the Security Council as well. With a firm commitment to the principles of multilateralism, Albania successfully chaired the OSCE last year, providing a lasting contribution to peace, human rights and equality.
Under our leadership, the OSCE Ministerial Council agreed on several new commitments on combating transnational organized crime, countering corruption and preventing torture in the OSCE area. We delivered much needed progress in all dimensions of the OSCE security and as a believer in multilateralism at a global level, Albania will for the first time in its UN membership history be a member of the UN Security Council for the term 2022-2023. Fully aware of the responsibilities trusted upon us by the United Nations family, we will bring to the Security Council the perspective of a small country, with a constructive foreign policy and a consistent commitment to multilateralism. With a group of like-minded people we have undertaken to launch a treaty against the pandemic, in order to face successfully such costly pandemic situations.
We are also concerned about the negative consequences of the infodemic in the context of COVID-19, which can heighten the risk of conflicts, violence, human rights violation and the mass atrocities.
We need greater integration for the sustainable development agenda, peace and security and as well as human rights. Albania considers that achievement of the sustainable development goals and implementation of the 2030 Agenda is a shared responsibility.
We are in a full track with the European Union’s policies and the international documents and the decision to develop the energy sector in full harmony and friendly with the environment.
The Albanian government has started to reform its power sector since 2014 through actions undertaken to complete the legal and regulatory framework in compliance with the European Union’s third pacage on energy and in full compliance with the EU directives on energy. We are focused on diversification of the power generation always based on the renewable, like water, sun and wind. This will definitely reduce the country’s high dependency on the weather conditions as currently almost all the production is based on hydro sources. The government is developing the new national energy and climate plan according to the new policy guidelines and the energy community agenda on decarbonisation in the energy sector. This plan projects power generation based on the domestic installed capacities for the period 2021-2030. So Albania is expected to become a net electricity exporter within this decade. However, talking about the challenges of our times in this city, I can’t avoid speaking about the role model of the United Arab Emirates regarding peace, multilateral cooperation and human solidarity. The signature of the Abraham Accords between the United Arab Emirates and Israel was a shockingly positive development of discontinuity with ages of a stalemate of one of the longest and deepest conflicts in our world, undertaking a huge step towards reaching out to the historical enemy. UAE lead by example towards a completely new direction of addressing the future, not by forgetting the past, but by looking forward to the future. And by doing so, making the future the basis of dealing with the past and not let the past anymore dictate the future. This major development in the history of peace-making is a true source of inspiration for the world, as well as for us in the Balkan region, where so for a long time bloody wars and conflicts have prevented people of different nations from seeing themselves as humans and deal with each other humanely.
On the other hand, we in Albania have experienced first-hand the UAE human solidarity in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in November 2019, when 15,000 families lost their homes in less than a minute. His Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed was among the first among a vast number of international leaders, who expressed their solidarity, not just through words, but also through their deeds and thanks to Him and the government of UAE a brand new residential neighbourhood is being built for the families that lost everything in that tragedy.
I am very proud to conclude my speech by telling you that Albania stood strong in protection of the Afghan people at risk following the course of events in Afghanistan and the spirit of solidarity I talked about a little while ago, Albanian government took right away the decision to host up to 4000 Afghan citizens in Albania. It is a very big number compared to much bigger and richer countries, whose contribution didn’t reach the bar of the challenge. During all these days, many people have asked me “why?” And my answer is very simple: first of all, by doing so we honour our history and our tradition. One of the most beautiful pages of our history has been the salvation of Jews during World War II, when Albania was the only country in Europe with more Jews after the war than before it, because not a single Jew was handed over to the Nazis.
Secondly, we may not be rich, but our memory can’t be short. We were the Afghans just 30 years ago, when leaving our own hell, escaping our own Taleban, who were not Islamic fundamentalists, but they were fundamentalists of Stalin, back then we had to cross the sea and appear on the shores of Italy and Europe like aliens of which nobody knew how we looked like. And if we were not to be provided sheltered and given help and hope 30 years ago, we wouldn’t be here today, a country with the EU candidate status, aspiring to become one of the Union members.
And thirdly, and probably most importantly, we did it because we owe it to our children. They shouldn’t be raised in an environment, where they are told to shut the door, to live in fear, and to turn the back to those in need. They should learn by deeds, not by words, that in this life there is a time to ask and there is a time to give. Thank you very much!
Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, ministre d’État, a reçu Patrick Achi, Premier ministre de Côte d’Ivoire, pour discuter des moyens de renforcer les relations bilatérales et d’une multitude de questions d’intérêt mutuel. Le Premier ministre ivoirien est à Abou Dhabi pour participer à la World Policy Conference. Sheikh Shakhbout a déclaré que les relations entre les Émirats arabes unis (ÉAU) et la Côte d’Ivoire progressaient régulièrement, notant un énorme potentiel et des opportunités pour les faire avancer dans le meilleur intérêt des deux pays.
Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, ministre d’État, a reçu Patrick Achi, Premier ministre de Côte d’Ivoire, pour discuter des moyens de renforcer les relations bilatérales et d’une multitude de questions d’intérêt mutuel.
Le Premier ministre ivoirien est à Abou Dhabi pour participer à la World Policy Conference.
Sheikh Shakhbout a déclaré que les relations entre les Émirats arabes unis (ÉAU) et la Côte d’Ivoire progressaient régulièrement, notant un énorme potentiel et des opportunités pour les faire avancer dans le meilleur intérêt des deux pays.
Pour sa part, Patrick Achi a exprimé sa fierté de la relation forte qui lie son pays aux Émirats Arabes Unis, soulignant qu’il existe de nombreuses opportunités de faire avancer les relations bilatérales.
A l’ouverture de la 14ème édition de la World Policy Conference, le 1er octobre 2021 à Abu Dhabi (Émirats Arabes Unis), le Premier Ministre ivoirien, Patrick Achi, a plaidé pour un financement important des économies africaines.
« Les pays du continent sont dans une situation post-Covid encore plus exigeante avec la baisse tendancielle de la croissance. Il faut permettre aux pays africains d’accéder à des ressources de grande ampleur et à faible coût », a déclaré Patrick Achi.
Selon le Chef du gouvernement, ces ressources permettront d’investir dans les secteurs sociaux et dans les infrastructures, afin de créer un écosystème favorable à l’accélération du développement de l’Afrique.
Abidjan, le 02 octobre 2021 – A l’ouverture de la 14ème édition de la World Policy Conference, le 1er octobre 2021 à Abu Dhabi (Émirats Arabes Unis), le Premier Ministre ivoirien, Patrick Achi, a plaidé pour un financement important des économies africaines.
« Les pays du continent sont dans une situation post-Covid encore plus exigeante avec la baisse tendancielle de la croissance. Il faut permettre aux pays africains d’accéder à des ressources de grande ampleur et à faible coût », a déclaré Patrick Achi.
Selon le Chef du gouvernement, ces ressources permettront d’investir dans les secteurs sociaux et dans les infrastructures, afin de créer un écosystème favorable à l’accélération du développement de l’Afrique.
Abidjan, le 1er octobre 2021 – Le Premier Ministre, Patrick Achi, s’est rendu le 30 septembre 2021, à Abu Dhabi (Émirats arabes unis) pour prendre part à la 14ème édition de la World Policy Conference (WPC) qui se tient du 1er au 3 octobre 2021
Patrick Achi qui représentera le Président Alassane Ouattara prononcera un discours à cette importante rencontre qui réunit les décideurs et chercheurs de haut niveau du monde.
Cette réunion a pour but d’aider tous les publics concernés à porter une réflexion éclairée à une époque de bouleversements incessants.
Créée en 2008, la World Policy Conference a pour mission de contribuer à promouvoir un monde plus ouvert, plus prospère et plus juste. Cela suppose un effort permanent pour comprendre la réalité des forces en jeu et leurs interactions, et pour réfléchir à l’adaptation pacifique de l’organisation des rapports interétatiques à tous les niveaux, dans le respect de la culture et des intérêts fondamentaux de chaque nation.
Le Président de la République a participé à la 5ème édition de la World Policy Conference à Cannes, en 2012. Et y a été représenté par feu le Premier Ministre Amadou Gon Coulibaly aux 11ème et 12ème éditions en 2018 et 2019.
On a longtemps cru que la technologie et la finance devaient nous sortir par le haut de la crise climatique, sans trop de douleur ou de décroissance. Mais de récentes études ont démontré que ça n’était pas si simple…
Etonnante scène à la World Policy Conference début octobre. Comme tous les ans, ce raout réunissait des responsables politiques, diplomates, chercheurs ou économistes plutôt « solutionnistes », convaincus que la technologie et la finance devraient nous sortir par le haut de la crise climatique, sans trop de douleur ou de décroissance. L’édition 2021 de la conférence se tenait à Abu Dhabi où, plus que partout ailleurs, on s’accroche à ce dogme. Or, dès la première table ronde, patatras ! Bertrand Badré, ancien directeur financier de la Société générale, du Crédit agricole puis de la Banque mondiale, connu pour être l’un des premiers apôtres de la finance verte, a douché tous les espoirs de l’assistance :
« Au moment de l’accord de Paris, en 2015, on pensait qu’avec quelques milliers de milliards d’euros par an dédiés à la transition climatique, la main invisible du marché permettrait de freiner le réchauffement en douceur. Mais force est de constater que ça ne suffit pas. L’objectif est en réalité […]
La 14e édition annuelle de la conférence sur la gouvernance mondiale (World Policy Conférence, WPC), qui s’est tenue le week-end dernier à Abou Dhabi à l’initiative de l’Institut français des Relations internationales (IFRI), a consacré l’un de ses ateliers de travail à la situation du continent africain, gravement menacé par un jihadisme islamique qui gagne du terrain.
Abou Dhabi de Michel Touma
La 14e édition de la conférence internationale sur la gouvernance mondiale, organisée par l’Institut français des Relations internationales (IFRI), a achevé ses travaux dans la soirée de dimanche dernier, 3 octobre, au terme de trois journées intenses de conférences, de tables rondes et de débats qui se sont tenus à l’Emirates Palace d’Abou Dhabi (Emirats arabes unis).
Ces assises, qui ont regroupé près de 200 personnalités de haut-rang venues des quatre coins de la planète, ont été marquées par nombre d’interventions importantes dont, notamment, celle de la secrétaire générale de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Louise Mushikiwabo (du Rwanda), qui a notamment exposé la ligne de conduite de l’OIF, mettant l’accent sur la dimension socio-politique de l’action de l’organisation francophone.
Soulignant que l’OIF comprend 88 pays, dont 33 du continent africain et 19 membres de l’Union européenne, Mme Mushikiwabo a indiqué que sa démarche dans le cadre de sa fonction, qu’elle a prise en charge le 1er janvier 2019, repose sur trois piliers : l’égalité entre l’homme et la femme ; le devenir des jeunes ; et le développement du secteur numérique. La responsable de l’OIF a relevé en outre que les relations entre les pays du Sud sont aujourd’hui régies, plus particulièrement, par les problèmes de sécurité.
La menace terroriste
Les questions en rapport avec la sécurité ont été surtout soulevées au cours d’un atelier de travail consacré à la situation de l’Afrique, sous l’angle des enjeux et défis auxquels est confronté le continent africain.
Le vice-président de l’Assemblée nationale du Sénégal et ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères, cheikh Tidiane Gadio (également président de l’Institut panafricain de Stratégies, Paix-Sécurité-Gouvernance), a titré la sonnette d’alarme concernant le danger sécuritaire qui plane sur l’Afrique, relevant que le terrorisme entretenu par les courants jihadistes islamiques ne cessent de gagner du terrain dans certaines zones d’Afrique. « La mouvance islamiste s’est fixée pour objectif de proclamer d’ici 2025 le califat islamique » dans les régions que les jihadistes auront conquises dans le continent africain, a affirmé cheikh Gadio qui a souligné que « le terrorisme est le danger premier qui plane sur l’Afrique ».
Stigmatisant en des termes très sévères les exactions commises à diverses occasions par les jihadistes, le responsable sénégalais a déclaré sur ce plan que « ce qui se passe en Afrique est inacceptable ». « Nous ne pourrons pas développer le continent sans régler au préalable le problème de la sécurité », a-t-il ajouté. Il a vivement stigmatisé à cet égard le laxisme et le silence des instances panafricaines. « C’est l’absence de leadership au niveau du continent qui est responsable de la situation actuelle, a-t-il lancé. L’un des principaux problèmes est l’absence de leadership. Aucun pays africain n’émerge réellement. Il est devenu nécessaire de créer de nouveaux organismes, de nouvelles institutions panafricaines car les institutions actuelles ont atteint leur niveau d’incompétence ».
Un diagnostic largement partagé
Le point de vue de cheikh Gadio a été partagé par d’anciens hauts responsables officiels africains participant à l’atelier de travail. L’ancien Premier ministre du Bénin, Lionel Zinsou, a ainsi confirmé que le danger terroriste s’aggrave du fait que les courants jihadistes gagnent effectivement du terrain. Il a reconnu par ailleurs l’inefficacité des institutions panafricaines, dont l’Organisation de l’Unité africaine (OUA). Il a tenu toutefois à apporter une certaine note quelque peu optimiste, malgré tout, précisant que le taux de croissance dans certains pays africains est assez élevé (entre 5 et 7 pour cent). « Nous avons assisté à un progrès majeur sur le plan de la gouvernance depuis la pandémie », a notamment déclaré dans ce cadre Lionel Zinsou.
Les problèmes de sécurité, perçus sous l’angle de l’instabilité politique, ont été évoqués également par l’ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères et ancien président de la Cour constitutionnelle du Bénin, Robert Dossou (actuellement président de l’Association africaine de droit international), qui a dénoncé « les putschs qui se poursuivent en Afrique, malgré la position officielle de l’OUA qui rejette de telles actions ». Il a d’autre part relevé, en se livrant à une digression, que « les Emirats arabes unis sont sans doute l’un des rares pays au monde à avoir créé un ministère de la tolérance et de la coexistence ».
Un point de vue européen
L’ancien présidente de la commission des Affaires étrangères à l’Assemblée nationale française et présidente de la fondation Anna Lindh pour le dialogue des cultures euro-méditerranéennes, Elisabeth Guigou, a exposé de son côté un point de vue européen sur la situation du continent africain, soulignant qu’il fallait aborder des questions concrètes à ce propos. « L’Afrique et l’Union européenne, a-t-elle déclaré, sont confrontées à des défis communs, et il est nécessaire de ce fait d’œuvrer ensemble afin de relever ces défis ».
Mme Guigou a indiqué dans ce contexte que « le nombre de jeunes qui arriveront sur le marché de l’emploi en Afrique sera deux fois plus grand que le nombre d’offres d’emploi ». « Tout dépendra de l’industrialisation, a-t-elle souligné dans ce cadre. Il faut promouvoir les investissements privés pour développer l’industrie et le marché de l’emploi à l’adresse des jeunes ».
Abondant dans le même sens, l’ancienne Premier ministre du Sénégal Aminata Touré a, elle aussi, mis l’accent sur l’importance de l’industrialisation dans l’optique d’une politique de développement du continent africain. « L’Afrique, qui regroupe 54 pays, est un continent très diversifié, a-t-elle relevé. Nous sommes confrontés à des défis communs, tels que les problèmes de développement. L’Afrique est un continent jeune, ce qui est un atout important. C’est un continent qui crée de la richesse et nous devons de ce fait commercer entre nous ».
Mme Touré a prôné, d’une manière plus spécifique, le développement d’une industrie pharmaceutique africaine. « Le confinement a montré que nous pouvons gérer nous-mêmes notre quotidien au plan sanitaire », a-t-elle souligné, mettant l’accent sur le fait que la pandémie n’a pas provoqué « l’hécatombe que l’on craignait, en dépit de notre système de santé déficient ». « Nous avons adopté avant les autres pays les mesures préventives nécessaires », a-t-elle indiqué, avant de mettre en évidence certaines avancées en termes de développement social, notamment pour ce qui a trait à l’éducation des filles.
L’ancienne responsable sénégalaise a déploré dans ce cadre le fait que les dirigeants africains ne savent pas « faire connaître nos succès ». « L’Afrique a une politique de communication lamentable », a dénoncé en conclusion Mme Touré. Une constatation qui pourrait se résumer en deux mots : l’Afrique, cette inconnue …
Les pays du G20 vont discuter de la poursuite de l’aide humanitaire aux Afghans et de l’opportunité de reconnaître le régime taliban.
La délégation des talibans a rencontré des dirigeants du Qatar, médiateur agrée entre Kaboul et Washington, avant de rencontrer leurs homologues américains à Doha ce week-end. (EPN/Newscom/SIPA)
Deux mois après la chute de Kaboul, les pays du G20 réunis mardi pour un sommet dédié à la situation en Afghanistan doivent trancher des questions difficiles. Faut-il maintenir l’aide à la population afghane alors que l’hiver approche ? Est-il opportun de reconnaître officiellement le régime taliban ? En échange de quelles garanties ?
Invité de France Inter la semaine dernière, Emmanuel Macron a évoqué la nécessité de poser «nos conditions à la reconnaissance des talibans ». Cela concerne aussi bien les Européens que les Américains, la Chine, la Russie, les grandes puissances d’Afrique, d’Asie Pacifique et d’Amérique latine, a-t-il précisé. Par ses propos, il ouvre la porte à une possible reconnaissance du régime.
Kaboul en quêtes de reconnaissance internationale
Si les talibans y aspirent, ils ont peu de moyens de tenir d’éventuelles promesses. Le nouveau régime est encore instable, avec plusieurs forces rivales en son sein et il est également menacé par Daech, réseau djihadiste international rival d’Al-Qaida, qui est resté proche des talibans. Lundi, à Kaboul, une nouvelle alerte était donnée en raison de menaces d’attentats sur les hôtels de la capitale. Vendredi, plus de 55 personnes ont été tuées dans un attentat suicide dans une mosquée chiite de Kunduz revendiqué par la branche locale de Daech.
Pour la première fois ce week-end, les Etats-Unis ont repris langue avec les talibans au Qatar pour aborder les questions sécuritaires, l’aide humanitaire américaine et les droits humains, en particulier l’intégration des femmes et des filles dans la société afghane. La délégation américaine a rappelé « que les talibans seraient jugés sur leurs actions, pas seulement leurs paroles ». «Une question centrale touche à la rupture tangible des liens avec Al-Qaida», rappelle Marc Hecker, auteur de « La guerre de vingt ans » avec Elie Tenenbaum.
Si la Chine, l’Iran et la Russie sont toujours présents en Afghanistan, la plupart des pays ont pris leur distance et personne n’a reconnu le nouveau régime. L’Inde est très inquiète de l’influence du Pakistan, dont les services secrets ISI sont réputés être le véritable parrain des talibans. Et Moscou, qui a toujours maintenu le dialogue, s’inquiète d’une contagion terroriste dans les pays limitrophes de l’Afghanistan qui sont sous son influence. « La Russie n’aime pas les régimes religieux. Si elle reconnaît les talibans, c’est une cartouche qu’elle ne peut tirer qu’une fois », a observé la chercheuse de l’Ifri Tatiana Kastouéva-Jean, lors de la World Policy Conference début octobre à Abou Dhabi. Pour le commissaire européen à la justice Didier Reynders, également présent à la WPC, « il faudrait continuer l’aide humanitaire et s’en servir pour faire respecter les droits de l’homme ». Des émissaires européens vont rencontrer les talibans pour la première fois ce mardi.
Des menaces de famine
Ceux-ci ont d’autant plus besoin de cette aide qu’ils peinent à faire repartir l’économie. L’aide internationale, qui représente les trois quarts des recettes publiques, n’arrive plus qu’au compte-gouttes, car les Occidentaux, de loin les principaux bailleurs, veulent obtenir la garantie qu’elle bénéficiera aux 38 millions d’Afghans et non au seul régime. Les avoirs internationaux du pays, évalués à 9 milliards de dollars, sont gelés et les caisses de la Banque centrale sont vides, pour des raisons en partie antérieures à l’arrivée au pouvoir des talibans. Au vu de la pénurie de devises et de liquidités, les autorités ont limité les retraits bancaires. Les fonctionnaires ne sont plus payés depuis des mois, le système de santé est au bord de l’effondrement et un tiers de la population afghane est menacé de famine, selon les Nations unies. Les prix du blé et du riz flambent depuis deux mois.
Malgré divers gisements prometteurs, mais peu exploités, de métaux, l’Afghanistan, peu doté en industries, est un des pays les plus pauvres du monde avec un PIB par habitant inférieur à 500 dollars. Il figure parmi les dix pays les plus mal classés de la planète selon de nombreux indicateurs, dont le développement, la mortalité infantile, l’espérance de vie et l’alphabétisation.
Deux émissaires des gouvernements américains et chinois se sont rencontrés mercredi à Zurich pour la première fois depuis le dialogue glacial en Alaska en mars dernier. Les positions se durcissent sur le commerce aussi bien que sur Taïwan. Mais un sommet virtuel entre Joe Biden et Xi Jinping est désormais prévu pour la fin de l’année.
La secrétaire au commerce, Katherine Tai, dénonce le peu d’avancée de la Chine sur ses réformes commerciales. (Pete Marovich/Pool via REUTERS)
Le commerce et Taïwan. Trois jours après que l’administration Biden a dévoilé sa nouvelle stratégie commerciale face à la Chine, et alors que les avions chinois survolent par dizaines la zone d’identification taïwanaise, le conseiller à la sécurité nationale de la Maison-Blanche, Jake Sullivan, a discuté mercredi en Suisse avec le chef de la diplomatie chinoise, Yang Jiechi. C’était la première rencontre de haut rang depuis l’échange téléphonique du 9 septembre entre Joe Biden et Xi Jinping, les équipes des deux chefs d’Etat ne s’étant pas parlé depuis la rencontre glaciale en Alaska il y a sept mois. Et elle a abouti sur un accord de principe pour un sommet virtuel entre Joe Biden et Xi Jinping à la fin de l’année.
Durcissement sur la Chine
Les tensions sont aussi fortes que lors de la précédente administration Trump. « Sur la Chine, notre approche va se durcir. Depuis la conclusion d’un accord bilatéral entre nos deux pays, les engagements chinois n’ont pas cessé de se réduire », a indiqué la représentante américaine au Commerce, Katherine Tai, lors d’une rencontre mercredi avec la presse française. Présente à Paris dans le cadre d’une réunion sur le commerce à l’Organisation pour la coopération et le développement économiques (OCDE), elle espère pouvoir s’entretenir bientôt avec ses homologues chinois.
Lundi, lors d’un discours devant le Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), elle avait donné le ton : « Nous continuons d’avoir de sérieuses inquiétudes concernant les pratiques commerciales centrées sur des entreprises d’Etat et non sur l’économie de marché. […] Pendant trop longtemps, le manque d’adhésion de la Chine aux normes commerciales mondiales a sapé la prospérité des Américains […] Il est de plus en plus clair que les plans de la Chine n’incluent pas de réformes significatives pour répondre aux préoccupations » des Etats-Unis.
Un exemple ? L’acier. La Chine assure près de 60 % de la production mondiale d’acier. Elle en produit plus en un seul mois que les Etats-Unis et la plupart des autres pays du monde n’en produisent en une année entière. « Nous voulons construire sur notre collaboration du sommet Etats-Unis-UE qui a donné un cadre au différend Boeing-Airbus. Le sommet de Pittsburg (TTC) montre que nous pouvons travailler ensemble. C’est dans ce même esprit que nous voulons répondre aux surcapacités de production d’acier et d’aluminium », affirme Katherine Tai.
Exemptions
La fermeté n’empêche pas un certain pragmatisme américain. Mardi, l’administration Biden a indiqué qu’elle allait octroyer au cas par cas des exemptions de droits de douane frappant des produits chinois s’il n’existe aucune alternative aux importations. Sous l’administration Trump, plus de 2.200 exemptions avaient été accordées puis 549 avaient été prolongées. « La plupart de ces exemptions ont expiré au 31 décembre 2020 », a indiqué l’USTR, d’où un nouvel examen des demandes des entreprises. Ces dernières disposent de 50 jours à compter du 12 octobre pour justifier leur demande.
Pour faire de la Chine une superpuissance en 2049, « Xi Jinping mène une politique de développement économique d’Etat de plus en plus marquée à gauche tandis que sa politique étrangère vire sur la droite », constate Kevin Rudd, directeur de l’Asia Society. « Le nationalisme chinois devient plus important au fur et à mesure que la croissance ralentit », a-t-il expliqué lors de la World Policy Conference à Abou Dhabi samedi dernier. « Si Xi Jinping est reconduit, on verra une Chine de plus en plus ferme vis-à-vis de Taïwan, de la mer de Chine orientale, envers ses voisins et les institutions multilatérales. » L’ancien Premier ministre australien ne prévoit pas de mouvement vers Taïwan « avant la fin de la décennie, quand la Chine estimera qu’elle aura alors l’avantage du rapport de force sur les Etats-Unis ». Mais il est clair, pour beaucoup d’experts, que Xi Jinping souhaite parvenir à réintégrer Taïwan et que cela doit être sa marque dans l’histoire.
L’invasion redoutée de Taïwan
Mercredi, de retour du Michigan, Joe Biden a affirmé devant la presse que lui et Xi Jinping étaient convenus de respecter « l’accord de Taïwan ». La Maison-Blanche a par la suite précisé qu’il s’agit d’une série de communiqués échangés au cours des quarante dernières années qui reconnaissent la République populaire de Chine comme le seul gouvernement légal du pays sans toutefois jamais préciser la question de la souveraineté taïwanaise. Mardi, la présidente de Taïwan, Tsai Ing-wen, a redit dans « Foreign Affairs » que la chute de l’île « serait catastrophique pour la paix régionale et le système démocratique d’alliance » en acceptant la victoire de l’autoritarisme. Son ministre de la Défense prédit que Pékin aura les moyens de monter une invasion dès 2025.
La World Policy Conference s’est tenue à Abou Dhabi du 1er au 3 octobre. Organisée par le fondateur de le l’Ifri (Institut français des relations internationales), elle fait dialoguer les puissances moyennes et pointe les risques d’une nouvelle guerre froide Chine-Etats-Unis
A la World Policy Conference qui s’est tenue à Abou Dhabi, aux Emirats Arabes Unis, un sujet tournait en boucle : les tensions entre les Etats-Unis et la Chine
Cette conférence est organisée par Thierry de Montbrial, le fondateur de l’Ifri, l’Institut français des relations internationales. L’Ifri est un think tank français, c’est-à-dire un centre de recherche indépendant, qui essaie de nourrir la réflexion sur la politique étrangère.
Et sa conférence a un but bien particulier : elle veut faciliter le dialogue entre les puissances moyennes, pour les aider à exister et à peser dans la mondialisation.
Par puissances moyennes, l’Ifri entend la France et ses voisins européens, mais aussi les puissances du Golfe, les Etats africains, la Corée du Sud, le Japon ou l’Australie.
Il a donc été question de l’échec du “contrat du siècle” et de la décision de l’Australie d’acheter des sous-marins américains plutôt que français
« En réalité, le sujet ce n’était pas tant les sous-marins français -déjà passés au second plan- que ce qui a sous-tendu la décision australienne, à savoir : la nouvelle guerre froide entre les Etats-Unis et la Chine et la pression que mettent les Etats-Unis sur leurs alliés pour qu’ils choisissent leur camp. »
Thierry de Montbrial redoute une forme de réciprocité chinoise. Ce qui entraînerait, selon son expression : une “politisation croissante de l’économie et de la finance, à travers la pratique des sanctions”.
Vous savez que les Américains manient volontiers les sanctions : ils imposent le boycott de certaines entreprises chinoises, comme Huawei, et veulent en interdire d’autres de la Bourse de New York.
Demain la Chine pourrait s’y mettre.
Car pour le fondateur de l’Ifri, “chacune des deux superpuissances veut développer son propre système mondialisé”, fermé, avec ses technologies, son cyberespace, ses ressources. Et pousser les Etats à choisir. Et ça commence, avec l’Australie qui choisit le camp américain, tandis que le Pakistan a choisi la sphère chinoise.
Est-ce qu’il y a encore moyen de rester neutre ?
Ce n’est pas si facile. La Corée du Sud cherche un équilibre : elle ne veut pas de confrontation avec la Chine, mais elle compense en investissant plus aux Etats-Unis. Samsung, LG, SK et Hyundai vont y localiser des usines et revoir leurs chaînes d’approvisionnement : ça représente 35 milliards d’euros d’investissement.
L’ancien premier ministre australien – sans lien avec les sous-marins- excellent connaisseur de la Chine, Kevin Rudd, exhorte les Européens à tenir bon dans leur volonté de neutralité. Pour lui, l’Europe peut être l’arbitre, le médiateur, car les Chinois respectent son poids dans l’économie mondiale. Attention tout de même car ils sont de plus en plus présents en Europe centrale, avec leur carnet de chèque.
يستضيف قصر الإمارات في أبو ظبي بين 1 و3 أكتوبر 2021 مؤتمر السياسة العالمية الذي تنظمه مؤسسة تييري دي مونبريال، في نسخته الرابعة عشرة.
قال مسؤول إماراتي رفيع المستوى للوفود في اليوم الثاني من المؤتمر الرابع عشر للسياسة العالمية في أبو ظبي ، إن المنافسة الاقتصادية والاستراتيجية بين الولايات المتحدة والصين تفرض ضغوطًا هائلة على دول الخليج العربي.
قال أنور قرقاش ، المستشار الدبلوماسي الرئاسي الإماراتي ووزير الدولة السابق للشؤون الخارجية ، إن التنافس الجيوسياسي يجبر دول المنطقة على اتخاذ خيارات مستحيلة فيما يتعلق بشراكاتهم الاستراتيجية والتجارية.
وحث قرقاش المجتمع الدولي على رفع صوته ضد مثل هذه الضغوط وعدم التحول إلى بيادق في حرب باردة جديدة. وقال يوم السبت “أعتقد أنه إذا وصلت هذه الرسالة إلى الصينيين والأمريكيين والآخرين ، أعتقد أن هذا ، في حد ذاته ، سيخلق ، كما يمكنني تسميته ، مجموعة أخلاقية”.
“نحن جميعًا قلقون للغاية من نشوب حرب باردة تلوح في الأفق. هذه أخبار سيئة لنا جميعًا لأن فكرة الاختيار مشكلة في النظام الدولي ، وأعتقد أن هذا لن يكون رحلة سهلة “.
لطالما كانت الإمارات ودول الخليج العربي الأخرى من الحلفاء المقربين للولايات المتحدة. ومع ذلك ، برزت الصين منذ ذلك الحين كلاعب اقتصادي قوي في المنطقة وعطشها للنفط الخام جعلها أكبر مشتر لدى الخليج ، مما وضع دوله في مأزق.
قال قرقاش: “سيكون هذا تحديًا كبيرًا لنا جميعًا”. “بالنسبة لنا هنا في الإمارات العربية المتحدة ، الولايات المتحدة هي شريكنا الاستراتيجي المهيمن ولكن الصين هي الشريك الاقتصادي الأول أو الثاني – مع الهند – الشريك الاقتصادي.”
على الرغم من أن الصينيين يقدمون فرصًا مربحة للشراكات التجارية ، إلا أن قرقاش ألمح إلى أن الإمارات تعتبر الأمريكيين حليفًا استراتيجيًا أكثر شفافية.
قال قرقاش: “ستظل الصين مهمة للغاية”. “في حين أن اتجاه أمريكا هو شيء يمكنك استخلاصه من قراءات ومؤتمرات ومناقشات مختلفة ، أعتقد أن فهم اتجاه الصين أكثر غموضًا.”
ما بدأ كحرب تجارية على السياسات الاقتصادية للصين تطور منذ ذلك الحين إلى صدام بين أيديولوجيات مختلفة ، مما أدى إلى تصاعد التوترات في بحر الصين الجنوبي والانقسامات بين الولايات المتحدة وحلفائها الأوروبيين التقليديين.
تراجعت العلاقات الثنائية بين الولايات المتحدة والصين في عام 2018 عندما فرض الرئيس آنذاك دونالد ترامب تعريفات عقابية على الصين. تبع ذلك قيود على وصول الصين إلى منتجات التكنولوجيا الأمريكية والاستثمارات الأجنبية التي تنطوي على مخاوف أمنية ومزاعم عن ممارسات تجارية صينية غير عادلة.
منذ ذلك الحين ، قام الرئيس جو بايدن بتضخيم سياسات سلفه من خلال تعزيز التحالفات المناهضة للصين وتنفيذ عقوبات إضافية. بالاقتراض من كتاب الحرب الباردة ، وصف بايدن الصراع بين الولايات المتحدة والصين بأنه “معركة بين منفعة الديمقراطيات في القرن الحادي والعشرين والأنظمة الاستبدادية”.
يعتقد المحللون أن التوترات بين الولايات المتحدة والصين مدفوعة بدرجة أقل بالحقائق الاقتصادية ، بل هي مدفوعة بشكل أكبر بتنافس القوى العظمى – والتي تفاقمت بسبب انعدام الثقة المتبادل بشأن الأهداف الاستراتيجية لبعضهما البعض.
وسلط قرقاش الضوء على تأثير جائحة COVID-19 على الشؤون الدولية ، قائلاً إنه يوضح الحاجة إلى تعاون أكبر بدلاً من المواجهة.
وقال: “إننا نرى بالفعل أبعادًا متعددة للتغييرات في النظام الدولي”. “أعتقد ، من ناحية ، أن الوباء يجعل من الواضح جدًا أن أولوياتنا الجيوستراتيجية لا يجب أن تكون سياسية فقط … ولكن يمكن أن تكون حول قضايا أخرى.
“سيحتاج ، في الواقع ، منا جميعًا ، إلى فهم … أن المواجهة ليست الطريق إلى الأمام ، والتواصل هو السبيل إلى الأمام.”
“هذا لا يعني أننا سنكون قادرين على تغيير تصور إيران لدورها في المنطقة ، أو تصور تركيا لدورها في المنطقة ، أو كيف نرى العالم العربي وكيف يجب أن يعود إلى منطقة إقليمية أكثر حيوية. لكن في نفس الوقت أعتقد أننا بحاجة إلى أن نفهم أيضًا أنه من المهم للغاية أن نتجنب المواجهات “.
Solutions to global challenges discussed: A number of ministers and officials from the United Arab Emirates participated in the World Policy Conference, hosted in Abu Dhabi, to share the geopolitical, cultural, and economic priorities of the country.
Founded in 2008 by Thierry de Montbrial, Chairman of the French Institute of International Relations, the World Policy Conference held its fourteenth edition from October 1-3, 2021 in the UAE for the first time. The World Policy Conference brings together top-level decision-makers, academics, and opinion leaders from over 40 countries to discuss solutions to contemporary global challenges and forge bonds between key international actors.
UAE officials participating in the World Policy Conference included Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Shakhbout Bin Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State; Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; and Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi, Director of the International Security Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Dr Gargash participated in a discussion with Thierry de Montbrial on geopolitical issues on Saturday, October 2. During his participation, Gargash addressed regional and international challenges, noting “Confrontation is not the way forward. Rather, conversation is the way forward. The UAE is exerting all efforts to maintain dialogue between states. The Abraham Accords are emblematic of this: the Accords have been a success in breaking the psychological barrier to peace and strengthening the economic and people-to-people benefits that all can reap.”
“The UAE has historically played a significant role as a mediator and facilitator, and our priority is on maintaining the fabric of trust in the international community in order to encourage positive engagement between states,” Dr Gargash added.
In his participation in a workshop on Africa held on Saturday, Sheikh Shakhbout Al Nahyan reviewed the UAE’s efforts to strengthen partnerships throughout the African continent, pointing to the ways in which the UAE has expanded economic and political relations with African states in recent years.
Sheikh Shakhbout remarked, “We are excited to enter a new era, post COVID-19, when we will be able to build stronger partnerships across Africa with the hopes of creating a better future for our countries and regions a future built on stability, security, and sustainability. We understand that the only way to achieve this is through dialogue, open channels of communication, the exchange of information and knowledge, and above all, the development of strategic partnerships that are mutually beneficial.”
Almarar, during a session entitled “Middle East and External Powers” held on Sunday, October 3, underscored the UAE’s commitment to reinforcing regional stability and security through a multilateral, rules-based approach in coordination with its international partners.
In his remarks, Almarar stated, “We have to acknowledge that there are legitimate concerns and legitimate interest among world powers in the development of the Middle East insofar as security and stability are concerned There is consensus among Arab countries that any malicious intervention in crises in the region can make a very complex situation more complex. Therefore, we feel it is necessary to promote stability, security, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.”
Al Hashemy attended virtually to highlight the UAE’s hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai, stating, “I am proud to share with you all that yesterday’s opening of Expo 2020 Dubai was one that exemplified the years of hard work and aspirations of the UAE and all participating countries and organizations. With 192 participating countries, Expo 2020 Dubai will act as a global platform dedicated to bringing people, nations, and communities together to build bridges, enable action, and inspire real-life solutions to real-world challenges for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.
Communication is the way forward, not confrontation, he said
By Ashwani Kumar, Khaleej Times
The UAE has been playing a constructive role in de-escalating tensions between countries, said Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President.
At World Policy Conference 2021, Gargash revealed that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces — as a good friend — had once called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to de-escalate tension.
“I remember the confrontation between India and Pakistan, a couple of years ago…We were on a trip with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Sheikh Mohamed understands that the issues between India and Pakistan are deep historical issues, and they are very emotional and very emotive, etc. But he can do one thing and that’s what he did. He called Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Khan and spoke to them as a friend and urged de-escalation without really going to the core issue,” said Gargash.
He pointed out that the world is worried about a looming US-China cold war.
“And I think for countries, like all of us here present in this hall, that is bad news for all of us, because the idea of choosing is problematic in the international system,” he said during a plenary session.
He said the UAE’s concern extends beyond the US-China issue, which impacts its other partners.
“The UAE has core economic and strategic relations with India, Korea and Japan. And all these three countries have their own rivalries and problems with China. So, it’s not only recalibrating Chinese-American relations but many other relations. For a country like us, our size, we are very concerned about this looming cold war. I hope we don’t get to that. Although realistically, all the signals are not very encouraging.”
Talking about the regional level, Gargash said the areas of potential confrontation are still present.
“It will need from all of us an understanding that confrontation is not the way forward. Communication is the way forward. It is extremely important that we avoid confrontations and even though the road towards communication is longer and frustrating, we really have no other option.”
He added: “We need to manage our region better, because there is a vacuum. And wherever there is a vacuum, there is trouble. So, it is essential for us that we avoid vacuums, talk and communicate. And to understand that talking and communicating don’t necessarily mean that we will change certain policies but we do need this de-escalation.
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04.10.2021
Ministers and officials share the country’s priorities at event held in the UAE for the first time
Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council meets Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, during the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs —
UAE ministers and officials have taken part in the World Policy Conference hosted in Abu Dhabi.
The conference brings together decision makers and academics from more than 40 countries.
It is the first time the event has been held in the UAE and attendees took the opportunity to share geographical, cultural and economic priorities of the country, Wam state news agency reported.
Participating on behalf of the Emirates were Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, Sheikh Khalifa, and other senior officials.
These included Ministers of State Sheikh Shakhbut bin Nahyan and Khalifa Al Marar, Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation and director general of Expo 2020 Dubai, and Salem Al Zaabi, Director of the International Security Co-operation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
Dr Gargash spoke about regional and international challenges in a discussion with the event’s founder on Saturday.
“Confrontation is not the way forward. Rather, conversation is the way forward,” he said.
“The UAE is exerting all efforts to maintain dialogue between states.
“The Abraham Accords are emblematic of this. The Accords have been a success in breaking the psychological barrier to peace and strengthening the economic and people-to-people benefits that all can reap.”
Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council meets Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, during the World Policy Conference. Also present are Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of State for Tolerance and Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
Dr Gargash added that the UAE has historically played the role of mediator and facilitator.
“Our priority is on maintaining the fabric of trust in the international community in order to encourage positive engagement between states,” he said.
Sheikh Shakhbut participated in a workshop on Africa on Saturday, reviewing the UAE’s partnerships throughout the continent.
Speaking of the ways the country has expanded economic and political relations with African states in recent years, Sheikh Shakhbut said there was excitement to enter stronger partnerships in the post Covid-19 era.
“We understand that the only way to achieve this is through dialogue, open channels of communication, the exchange of information and knowledge, and above all, the development of strategic partnerships that are mutually beneficial,” he said.
Ms Al Hashimy attended the conference online and took time to mention the UAE’s hosting of Expo 2020 in Dubai.
“I am proud to share with you all that [Thursday’s] opening of Expo 2020 Dubai was one that exemplified the years of hard work and aspirations of the UAE and all participating countries and organisations,” she said.
“With 192 participating countries, Expo 2020 Dubai will act as a global platform dedicated to bringing people, nations, and communities together to build bridges, enable action, and inspire real-life solutions to real-world challenges for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.”
The crisis in Afghanistan was also discussed on the last day of the conference, with Mr Al Zaabi reviewing the UAE’s involvement in addressing the situation.
“The historic importance of Afghanistan cannot be understated, nor can its impact on the regional climate for security and stability.”
It was the 14th edition of the conference, having been founded in 2008 by the chairman of the French Institute of International Relations, Thierry de Montbrial.
Paul Kagame is attending a conference in the Emirates
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed hosts Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, welcomed Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame to Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Sheikh Mohamed held talks with the long-serving African leader at Al Shati Palace.
State news agency Wam said Sheikh Mohamed stressed the importance the UAE places on relations with Rwanda and the African continent more broadly, including the need for joint action, investment opportunities and prosperity and peace for all.
Mr Kagame, who has served as Rwandan president since 2000, is in Abu Dhabi for the World Policy Conference.
(MENAFN– Khaleej Times) Lieutenant-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, met in Abu Dhabi with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security HR Josep Borrell; and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, who are both participating in the 14th World Policy Conference (WPC) hosted by Abu Dhabi.
During the meeting, Sheikh Saif welcomed the state’s guests and wished them successful participation in the conference.
“Multiplicity and diversity of intellectual, cultural, political and dialogue forums is one of the civilisational manifestations that characterise advanced societies, which enhances their thought, culture and awareness of the challenges of the present and the future,” he said.
Sheikh Saif exchanged views with the guests over the themes and main issues addressed by the WPC and the importance of finding solutions and putting forward visions and ideas on many issues relevant to the future of societies.
Communication is the way forward, not confrontation, he said.
The UAE has been playing a constructive role in de-escalating tensions between countries, said Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President.
At World Policy Conference 2021, Gargash revealed that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces — as a good friend — had once called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to de-escalate tension.
“I remember the confrontation between India and Pakistan, a couple of years ago…We were on a trip with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Sheikh Mohamed understands that the issues between India and Pakistan are deep historical issues, and they are very emotional and very emotive, etc. But he can do one thing and that’s what he did. He called Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Khan and spoke to them as a friend and urged de-escalation without really going to the core issue,” said Gargash.
He pointed out that the world is worried about a looming US-China cold war.
“And I think for countries, like all of us here present in this hall, that is bad news for all of us, because the idea of choosing is problematic in the international system,” he said during a plenary session.
He said the UAE’s concern extends beyond the US-China issue, which impacts its other partners.
“The UAE has core economic and strategic relations with India, Korea and Japan. And all these three countries have their own rivalries and problems with China. So, it’s not only recalibrating Chinese-American relations but many other relations. For a country like us, our size, we are very concerned about this looming cold war. I hope we don’t get to that. Although realistically, all the signals are not very encouraging.”
Talking about the regional level, Gargash said the areas of potential confrontation are still present.
“It will need from all of us an understanding that confrontation is not the way forward. Communication is the way forward. It is extremely important that we avoid confrontations and even though the road towards communication is longer and frustrating, we really have no other option.”
He added: “We need to manage our region better, because there is a vacuum. And wherever there is a vacuum, there is trouble. So, it is essential for us that we avoid vacuums, talk and communicate. And to understand that talking and communicating don’t necessarily mean that we will change certain policies but we do need this de-escalation.”
WAM Lieutenant-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomes state guests
Lieutenant-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, met in Abu Dhabi with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security HR Josep Borrell; and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, who are both participating in the 14th World Policy Conference (WPC) hosted by Abu Dhabi.
During the meeting, Sheikh Saif welcomed the state’s guests and wished them successful participation in the conference.
“Multiplicity and diversity of intellectual, cultural, political and dialogue forums is one of the civilisational manifestations that characterise advanced societies, which enhances their thought, culture and awareness of the challenges of the present and the future,” he said.
Sheikh Saif exchanged views with the guests over the themes and main issues addressed by the WPC and the importance of finding solutions and putting forward visions and ideas on many issues relevant to the future of societies.
ABU DHABI, 3rd October 2021 (WAM) – A number of ministers and officials from the United Arab Emirates have participated in the World Policy Conference, hosted in Abu Dhabi, to share the geopolitical, cultural, and economic priorities of the country.
Founded in 2008 by Thierry de Montbrial, Chairman of the French Institute of International Relations, the World Policy Conference held its fourteenth edition from October 1-3, 2021 in the UAE for the first time. The World Policy Conference brings together top-level decision-makers, academics, and opinion leaders from over 40 countries to discuss solutions to contemporary global challenges and forge bonds between key international actors.
UAE officials participating in the World Policy Conference included Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State; Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; and Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi, Director of the International Security Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Dr. Gargash participated in a discussion with Thierry de Montbrial on geopolitical issues on Saturday, October 2. During his participation, Gargash addressed regional and international challenges, noting “Confrontation is not the way forward. Rather, conversation is the way forward. The UAE is exerting all efforts to maintain dialogue between states. The Abraham Accords are emblematic of this: the Accords have been a success in breaking the psychological barrier to peace and strengthening the economic and people-to-people benefits that all can reap.”
“The UAE has historically played a significant role as a mediator and facilitator, and our priority is on maintaining the fabric of trust in the international community in order to encourage positive engagement between states,” Dr. Gargash added.
In his participation in a workshop on Africa held on Saturday, Sheikh Shakhbout Al Nahyan reviewed the UAE’s efforts to strengthen partnerships throughout the African continent, pointing to the ways in which the UAE has expanded economic and political relations with African states in recent years.
Sheikh Shakhbout remarked, “We are excited to enter a new era, post COVID-19, when we will be able to build stronger partnerships across Africa with the hopes of creating a better future for our countries and regions a future built on stability, security, and sustainability. We understand that the only way to achieve this is through dialogue, open channels of communication, the exchange of information and knowledge, and above all, the development of strategic partnerships that are mutually beneficial.”
Almarar, during a session entitled “Middle East and External Powers” held on Sunday, October 3, underscored the UAE’s commitment to reinforcing regional stability and security through a multilateral, rules-based approach in coordination with its international partners.
In his remarks, Almarar stated, “We have to acknowledge that there are legitimate concerns and legitimate interest among world powers in the development of the Middle East insofar as security and stability are concerned There is consensus among Arab countries that any malicious intervention in crises in the region can make a very complex situation more complex. Therefore, we feel it is necessary to promote stability, security, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.”
Al Hashemy attended virtually to highlight the UAE’s hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai, stating, “I am proud to share with you all that yesterday’s opening of Expo 2020 Dubai was one that exemplified the years of hard work and aspirations of the UAE and all participating countries and organizations. With 192 participating countries, Expo 2020 Dubai will act as a global platform dedicated to bringing people, nations, and communities together to build bridges, enable action, and inspire real-life solutions to real-world challenges for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. It is also an opportunity for humanity to convene in the spirit of hope, optimism, and positive change for the future.”
Al Zaabi participated in a session on “Afghanistan and the Sahel” on Sunday. During his participation, Al Zaabi reviewed the UAE’s efforts to address the humanitarian and security situations in areas currently experiencing conflict, remarking, “The historic importance of Afghanistan cannot be understated, nor can its impact on the regional climate for security and stability.”
ABU DHABI, 2nd October, 2021 (WAM) — His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, who is visiting the UAE to participate in the 14th World Policy Conference (WPC), currently hosted by Abu Dhabi from 1st to 3rd October.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomed the Rwandan President and his delegation and stressed the attention attached by the UAE to its relations with Rwanda in particular and the African continent in general based on cooperation, joint work, investment in the available opportunities for the sake of development, welfare and peace for all.
They discussed bilateral relations between the two friendly countries in various fields, especially in economy, trade, investment and other sectors.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and Kagame tackled regional and global issues of mutual interest. They also exchanged views on the themes and main issues addressed by the WPC and its importance to support prosperity and stability at the regional and global levels.
Among those who attended the meeting were Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC); Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council; Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, and Hazaa Mohammed Khorsan Al-Qahtani, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda.
ABU DHABI, 1st October, 2021 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, today separately received Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, Patrick Ache, Prime Minister of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama, who are participating in the 14th World Policy Conference (WPC), currently hosted by Abu Dhabi.
Each year, WPC gathers political, economic and social leaders, including heads of states and governments, ministers, members of parliaments, ambassadors, CEOs, experts, journalists and NGOs’ members.
Sheikh Hazza welcomed the distinguished guests, wishing them success in this significant conference, which, he said, is an opportunity to converge ideas, visions and aspirations and produce fruitful results that contribute to formulating common visions and solutions to face various challenges and consolidate cooperation and joint solidarity for promoting peace, security, stability and global development.
He exchanged views with the state’s guests about the prospects of enhancing UAE’s bilateral cooperation with their countries.
The guests expressed appreciation of UAE hosting of the conference, hailing its role in embracing such intellectual forums that contribute to building civilisational awareness about the necessity of forging solutions to multifaceted global challenges and developmental issues.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State, attended parts of the meetings.
Founded in 2008 by Thierry de Montbrial, Chairman of the French Institute of International Relations, the World Policy Conference (WPC) is holding its fourteenth edition from October 1-3, 2021, in Abu Dhabi.
The WPC’s mission is to reflect upon and to come up with solutions to the constant upheavals of today’s world and to create lasting bonds between the participants. This international conference gives a voice to political, economic, academic and media players from over 40 countries – from major powers to medium and small countries, including emerging countries, thus ensuring a diversity and plurality of debates.
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