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Written by Nayla Barakat
Manama, Nov. 19 (BNA): British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth Affairs and Development James Cleverly affirmed his country’s long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Bahrain and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.
In his remarks today at the first plenary session of the Manama Dialogue, “The Changing Geopolitics of Energy,” he stressed the depth of the UK’s relations in the region in the energy, trade and security sectors.
He spoke intelligently about the transformation witnessed by Bahrain, as witnessed by British diplomats over the decades.
“When Britain opened its embassy here in Bahrain, our diplomats could look out into the waters of the Gulf and watch the dhows carrying pearl divers to the northern oyster beds,” he said.
“However, today our embassy is located nearly half a mile from the coast, not because it has moved, but because Bahrain has moved the sea by reclaiming the land that once lay beneath the waves.”
He added, “The Arabian Peninsula around us witnessed one of the fastest transformations in history, brought about by the power of hydrocarbons, allowing amazing cities to rise from an empty desert and entire countries to achieve prosperity within a single lifetime.”
“The lesson I take away is that when our friends in the Gulf and across the region decide to embrace change, they can reinvent themselves incredibly quickly,” he added.
Cleverly said another transformation has begun that he believes will be just as significant and full of opportunity – as this region embarks on green energy by harnessing the power of sunlight, wind and civil nuclear energy.
“As we embark on this journey, I would like to assure the region that Britain will remain a steadfast friend and partner committed to our relations in the MENA region for the long term, building on centuries of tradition,” he said.
“We know your security is our security, and any crisis here will inevitably have global ramifications,” he said astutely, adding that the staggering £44 billion trade a year between the UK and the GCC indicates the importance and necessity of maintaining this partnership with the region.
“We know that your prosperity is our prosperity, which is symbolized by the ever-increasing flow of trade between us, including more.”
Cleverly said his country welcomes regional initiatives to promote stability, including the historic Abraham Accords, which the UK has committed to supporting.
“Britain is convinced that we will only be able to overcome mutual threats and seize opportunities by cooperating ever closer in all areas of mutual interest. This is why we are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the GCC countries, It is our fourth largest export market after the European Union, the United States and China.”
“This is why we are providing development finance through UK international investment – including $500m in Egypt and $250m in Morocco so far,” he said.
We are also working to deepen our security partnerships with Jordan and the Sultanate of Oman and strengthen our cooperation with regional financial centers to crack down on money laundering through the use of joint anti-money laundering initiatives.
It has astutely expressed the UK’s interest in sharing the transition to green energy in the region to ensure everyone benefits from renewable technologies that are not only practical and affordable, but also guarantee complete energy security.
“I commend Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their plans to invest $350 billion in green energy, and Bahrain for its ambition to double the deployment of renewables by 2035. I take inspiration from the Middle East Green Initiative, which will help countries achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions to reduce their carbon footprint.” .
He shrewdly emphasized the importance of security to the success of shared aspirations.
“In January I stood in the garden of the British Ambassador’s residence in Abu Dhabi watching explosions in the sky as incoming Houthi missiles were intercepted and shot down over our heads – and I can assure you I gave thanks for the accuracy and efficiency of the UAE’s missile defences.”
He added, “Those traces of light, which streaked above me, were visual evidence of how Iranian weapons threatened the entire region.”
He said that Iran’s nuclear program today is more advanced than ever, and the regime has resorted to selling Russia armed drones that kill civilians in Ukraine.
Britain is determined to work with our friends to confront the Iranian threat, to intercept conventional arms smuggling, and to prevent the regime from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.
Twice this year, he said, a Royal Navy frigate operating in international waters south of Iran had intercepted speedboats loaded with surface-to-air missiles and engines for cruise missiles.
“If those engines had reached their destination, they could have powered the type of cruise missile that bombed Abu Dhabi on January 17, killing three civilians – and had it not been for the defenses I saw in action a few weeks later,” he said. cleverly.
And that is why British forces, along with their counterparts in this region, strive to keep us safe and to defend the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that protect every nation.
He said: “Just as these principles remain steadfast, I fervently believe that Britain’s friendships across the Middle East and North Africa will deepen and last, as we support peace and security together, and this region is in control of its second transformation, allowing the new world of green energy to replace the old.”