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The Quest for Peace The Need for a Regional Approach It is worthy of mention at this point, that the countries of the region have already initiated their cooperation, which is based on clear foundations, in three areas: the environment, water, and the infrastructure. Concerning the environment, everybody realizes that national policies for the protection of the environment are ineffective in the absence of regional coordination. The countries of the region are so closely intertwined geographically and demographically that it is impossible for any party to live in isolation of its surroundings. Concerning water, cooperation in this field is a vital necessity dictated by the nature of our region, which suffers a shortage of this basic life-supporting resource. This situation demands creative thinking in order to preserve and develop our sources of water. As for the infrastructure, all efforts must be concentrated on developing a continuous infrastructural network to achieve complementarity between the countries of the region, and foster cooperation among them, in order to create a climate that attracts investment in all fields. Address to the Middle East and North
Africa Economic Summit
We are fully aware that regional cooperation between all countries should be based on complementarity and justice, so that the region may enjoy greater harmony, and fewer disparities in the levels of development among its countries. This harmony would only reinforce social and our ability to eliminate the root causes of future insecurity. Address to the Middle East and North
Africa Economic Summit
Besides the Gulf crisis, our region, which contains the largest oil reserves alongside a burgeoning arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, still suffers from the serious repercussions of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the failure to resolve the Palestinian problem. It is clear that peace and security will not prevail in the Middle East if only the Gulf crisis were resolved. Weapons of mass destruction cannot be eliminated from the region if the Arab-Israeli conflict is not settled. Likewise, the world will not be assured of its economic stability if the entire region does not achieve security based on a just and honorable peace. Address to the Military Staff College
Graduation
The Gulf crisis, the world economy in its oil dimension, the Palestinian problem and weapons of mass destruction are all interrelated Middle Eastern problems. In our view, any position, approach or international effort to resolve only one of these problems in isolation from the others, would fail to produce security, stability and peace in the region. At best it would temporarily freeze the crises and delay the moment of explosion, rather than remove their root causes. Such a resolution is possible only when the whole world turns from confrontation to cooperation, and towards progress and prosperity instead of death and destruction. Address to the Military Staff College
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