Arabs should partake in nuclear talks with Iran

Kuwaiti Member in the UN Elders' Advisory Council, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah criticised the exclusion of Arab countries from the ongoing negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue and warned that it could be at the expense of the Arab world. Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah who is former Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister told a symposium on EuroArab dialogue hosted in the European Parliament Monday night, "We are against the threat of war against Iran or to ostracize Iran. We need to engage Iran. But what we see happening in the 5+1 discussions about the Iranian nuclear programme is that the principle parties that will be directly affected by the outcome of these discussions are the countries in the neighbourhood." "We see in the case of North Korea for instance all the neighbouring countries are engaged. They all have chairs at the table and they all participate in finding a solution to the North Korean nuclear programme," he noted. "When it comes to Iran, the Arab world is completely excluded from these discussions. Only 5+1 countries which are not members of the region are making deals with Iran that we are very concerned that it could be on our own national expense," said Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah. "Europe can play a role in brining us at having a chair for us in the 5+1 dialogue," he added. Representatives from Iran and the so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, Russia and China plus Germany - ended three days of talks in Geneva on Saturday and agreed to meet again on November 20th. The talks are being chaired by the EU High Representative for foreign and security policy, Catherine Ashton. On the other hand, In his speech, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah also recalled how the self-immolation of a Tunisian vegetable seller three years ago sparked political avalanches in the Arab world. He stressed that Europe can play a relevant and positive role in the Arab Spring countries by boosting cooperation in three sectors, economy, security, and ecology. Sheikh Mohammad noted that the European Union has extensive experience in integrating ex-Soviet Union countries something that the Arab world can learn from. He said Europe and the Arab world must support the moderate factions in Syria to keep out the "radicals and fanatics" from taking power. Meanwhile, former Bosnian Prime Minister, Haris Silajdic, who opened the first session last night entitled "Rethinking Democracy" said, "We are meeting here in the European Parliament, the seat of European democracy under the auspices of the President of the European Parliament. And present here today is also the Speaker of the Kuwait parliament. This to me is a great symbolism." "I am seeing progress and I am hopeful" for the future of Arab-Europe Dialogue, he said. "Those who believe in it have made this Dialogue possible. Here is a man who tirelessly works to help peoples understand each other. And he is a great poet also. And that is the President of the Foundation of Al-Babtain Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain," said Siladjic who was also member of the Troika Presidency of Bosnia Herzegovina in 2007. "Democracy is a unifying principle because we all have consensus that democracy is good for us ... You should globalise democracy which means that we all contribute to that democracy and reshape and recast the concept of applied democracy. "It cannot be the same for all countries because we have our different pasts and culture. Democracy means justice .We need a paradigm shift and we need it immediately. We have to respect every human being," stressed the Bosnian leader. Arab and European politicians, intellectuals and scholars are participating in the symposium titled "Arab-European dialogue in the 21st century: Towards a Common Vision" organised by the Foundation Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity of Kuwait. The panel was chaired by Mohammad bin Issa, an ex minister of culture and foreign affairs of Morocco who underlined that demoracy and ignorance do not go hand in hand. The former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora noted that the Arab world is going through historic changes which will define the future of the Arab world and its relations with Europe. He called on stronger European role in building democratic societies in the Arab world and urged Europe to play a vital role in achieving a just solution to the Palestine question by to establishing an independent Palestinian state and in ending the suffering of the Syrian people. Siniora also condemned Iranian interference in his country through Hezbollah.