HRH Premier receives former Nobel Peace Prize laureates

Manama, Sept. 9 (BNA): While meeting former Nobel Prize laureates, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa welcomed the "men of peace", calling on them to be informed about the progress boom and the freedom atmosphere the Kingdom of Bahrain is witnessing within the state of law and institutions. The Prime Minister asserted that the world is going through difficult times because of tensions and wars from whose negative repercussions humanity has suffered a lot, which makes it more urgent than ever to back efforts aimed at preserving peace, security and stability in the region and the world. HRH Premier called for the need to create opportunities that stimulate and strengthen the pillars of peace, noting that the region has gone through bitter experiences of instability, and succeeded in overcoming them thanks to the wisdom of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Meanwhile, members of the delegation lauded the landmark achievements attained by the government, under the leadership of HRH the Prime Minister, and entitled Bahrain to be a modern and developed state and a role model to be emulated. HRH Premier made the statements while receiving a high-level delegation, including three former presidents and Nobel Peace Prize laureates, who had played major roles in establishing peace and stability during the critical phases that their home countries had gone through. They were Frederick William de Klerk, former President of the Republic of South Africa (1989-1994), Mr. Lech Walesa, former President of the Republic of Poland (1990-1995), Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta, former President of East Timor (2007, 2012). The delegation also comprised Anna Tibajuka, Under-Secretary-General and former Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), winner of the 2016 Sustainable Development Award and the Gutenberg Environmental Prize, known as the Nobel Prize for the Environment. HRH the Prime Minister stressed that peace is a noble approach, and that the Government of Bahrain is keen to support the international Community’s efforts to consolidate it, adding that the government considers peace as a basis and a catalyst for development whose goals, he said, cannot be achieved only within a stable atmosphere. HRH Premier reviewed with the former Nobel Peace Prize laureates a number of topics of mutual interest, as well as the latest global developments. In this regard, they warned of the dangers of the return of the Cold War because of some policies that are not consistent with the requirements of societies, calling for concerted efforts and stressed the importance of complementarity among countries, common understanding and wise leaderships that adopt peace as the only option. The Prime Minister affirmed that Bahrain has been known, throughout history, as a peace-loving country, a meeting point of civilisations and a living example of co-existence and harmony among various sects and cultures, adding that the kingdom will always remain a beacon for spreading the values of fraternity, cooperation and peace in the world. HRH Premier emphasised that peace is the basis for strengthening security and stability, as well as for enabling societies to enhance their development, noting that achieving lasting peace requires concerted international efforts to provide suitable conditions that promote the values of co-existence and cooperation that are based on achieving mutual benefits among peoples. The Prime Minister expressed pride in the high-profile delegation’s visit to Bahrain, noting that the visit will project to the world Bahrain’s true image as a peace-loving country, with an advanced and open society that shares with the peoples of the world their aspirations and hopes for achieving peace and enhancing development within an atmosphere of security and stability. He indicated that the visit provides an opportunity for the members of the delegation to meet Bahrainis, who, he said, are eager to be informed about their experiences in supporting peace, and to highlight to them about Bahrain’s efforts in this regard. The Prime Minister lauded the efforts exerted by the former heads of state to build their societies, praising their effective roles in bringing about positive change that had strengthened their societies. HRH Premier affirmed that Bahrain is making strenuous endeavours for the sake of promoting security and stability across the region, noting that its policies and goals are aimed at achieving progress. "We live in a changing world, and we need each other so that peace prevails in the region and the world," HRH Premier said. He noted that Bahrain’s fundamentals in supporting peace are based on human principles that affirm the importance of peace and co-existence among human beings, and are based on a deep-rooted legacy and long history of co-existence and tolerance, two key values that have been the kingdom’s distinctive features over the years. "The biggest challenge facing peace as a noble value is the intensification of conflicts in many regions of the world, which requires a new global vision that includes unconventional mechanisms to face them (challenges) and address the causes of crises in order to ensure that the world is free from conflicts in all their forms," he said. While addressing the delegation, HRH Premier said: "The prominent role you played in your countries, and for which you were granted the Nobel Peace Prize, represents a continuum of success that constitutes a humanitarian aspect in defending societies and consolidating security and stability in thought and practice." Members of the high-level delegation expressed delight at visiting Bahrain, lauding the efforts of HRH the Prime Minister in enhancing Bahrain’s progress and renaissance, noting that Bahrain has attained multiple success in education, health, human development and economic diversification. They voiced pride in meeting HRH Premier, stressing that the visit has enabled them to collect first-hand information about the Prime Minister’s vision to consolidate peace efforts in the world through his long experience which has strengthened his conviction of the importance of peace as a noble human value that everyone should work together in order to achieve it so that stability and peace prevail and peoples of the world live in security and stability. They expressed thanks and appreciation to HRH the Prime Minister for his efforts to consolidate peace and tolerance, the same values that the world currently needs in the midst of the ongoing conflicts. They underscored the importance of the visit in consolidating understanding for the sake of a secure and stable world, noting that HRH Premier has a clear forward-looking vision as reflected in his landmark achievements, particularly regarding security, stability, peace and human development. They praised Bahrain’s civilisational and development progress, hailing the Bahraini society’s diversity, cultural and ideological openness, coexistence and cooperation among its various components. The former Nobel Peace Prize laureates also hailed Bahrain’s role in promoting global peace through its strong belief in the importance of supporting the International Community’s efforts to strengthen the pillars of security and stability and to achieve peace worldwide. Members of the delegation presented HRH the Prime Minister with gifts and appreciation certification in recognition of his role in supporting peace and the values of tolerance and co-existence among the peoples of the world. They said that they are looking forward to taking advantage of Bahrain’s experience in co-existence, and to transferring it to their home countries.