Manama, 29 June 2022(TDI): The Kingdom of Bahrain hosted the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the Negev Forum. The foreign ministers of the six founding countries participated in this forum.
These include the US, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Morocco. The aim of the forum was to foster prosperity, security, and stability in the Middle East.
Several notable ministers and secretaries, including the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Director General of Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, attended the forum.
Other attendees include the Secretary of Near Eastern Affairs, the Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Egypt, and the Director of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs UAE.
In light of this, Dr. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bahrain, welcomed the delegations.
Additionally, the foreign minister expressed the kingdom’s gratitude and pride for hosting the first meeting of the Negev Forum.
Aims of the Negev Forum:
The aims of the summit were highlighted as to develop sustainable frameworks and mechanisms. This sought to bolster and strengthen cooperation and coordination between the Middle Eastern countries.
This is to anchor peace and security in the region while tackling international threats jointly with cooperation.
In addition, the delegation of diplomats also noted further key areas of development and joint cooperation.
These fields include security, economics, health, education, and environmental fields. This is to bring stability and to improve the aspirations of the people.
In a joint statement, foreign ministers and senior officials of participating states also outlined a framework for development.
They outlined the objectives and put forward a four-part structure method. These include the Foreign Minister’s ministerial meetings, the Presidency, the Steering Committee, and the Working groups.
As a result of this, the working groups on six fields approved regional security, food, health, water security, clean energy, and tourism.
According to the statement, the working groups have to meet regularly and submit their yearly report to the Steering Committee.
Moreover, many foreign ministers of the participating countries appreciated the Kingdom’s effort to host the first meeting and to work towards regional cooperation.
