His Highness the Amir speaks at the Munich Security Conference
On 16 February 2018, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gave a speech during the opening session of the 54th Munich Security Conference in Germany.
In his speech, His Highness emphasised the importance of a regional security agreement in the Middle East. He urged all countries in the region to put their differences aside and agree on basic security principles and rules of governance.
Speaking about the fight against Daesh, His Highness said that “the real battle”, which involves laying the foundations for peaceful coexistence, has “yet to begin”.
In this context, His Highness encouraged nations in the Middle East to mirror the efforts of the European Union’s ability to find common ground to rebuild and prosper. He said: “This should not be a pipe dream. Too much is at risk. The Middle East is at the brink. It’s time to bring it back.”
In his speech, His Highness highlighted the responsibilities on states in the Middle East to shift from feuds to cooperation. In his view, this means allowing the flow of humanitarian aid to pass across borders, allowing safe and free passage for families, providing access to religious sites to all faiths, preventing the desecration of historic and religious sites, and respecting common trade routes.
His Highness also called on the international community to keep up diplomatic pressure to achieve such a holistic security agreement in the Middle East.