Called a regional security summit, policymakers and dignitaries from 25 nations should have a full plate of topics to discuss, from two ongoing wars and the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to nuclear issues in Iran and Pakistan.
Clinton will deliver the summit’s opening address Friday evening, and King Abdallah delivers a keynote address to participants on Saturday. The event is being held at the Ritz Carlton Conference Center.
Saudi Arabia’s delegation includes Prince Turki Al-Faisal. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE are being represented by royal family members and ranking ministers of defense or foreign affairs. Iran, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen also will be represented, along with the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Australia and Singapore.
Selected delegation leaders and senior government officials include Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sabah, Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Pakistan Army Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Waheed Arshad Chaudhry, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul, Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.
The event provides a forum for the national security establishments of the participating states to exchange views on regional security challenges, and it gives government leaders an opportunity to deliver important public statements about the evolving policy approaches to regional security.
The IISS is the world’s leading authority on political-military conflict and has offices in London, Singapore, Bahrain and Washington. It is the primary source of accurate and objective information on international strategic issues.
