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Over Two Dozen Senior Ministers Prepare for the 5th IISS Regional

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) will bring together 23 official government delegations led by over two dozen prime ministers, defence ministers, national security advisors, chiefs of intelligence and other senior officials from the Gulf region and the wider security community to participate in the 5th IISS Regional Security Summit, The Manama Dialogue, to be held 12-14 December 2008 in Bahrain.

Convened annually, The Manama Dialogue brings together all elements of the national security establishments from the countries of the wider region - Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE and Yemen - with the key external powers - Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The summit will formally open on Friday 12 December with a Keynote Address. The programme for Saturday 13 December will include three plenary sessions, to be addressed by delegation leaders: The US and the Regional Balance of Power; The Economics of Regional Security; and Security in a Global Context. In the evening, Al Arabiya will host a television debate on The Future of Regional Security: Reflections from the Manama Dialogue. The Dialogue will conclude on Sunday 14 December with three further plenary sessions: The Role of the International Community in Regional Security; Changing Regional Security Architecture; and Concluding Thoughts on Regional Security. During the summit, a series of private bilateral meetings, ministerial lunches and delegate-only break out groups will help to further inter-governmental relations.

Participation in the IISS Manama Dialogue requires advance registration. For further information on providing press coverage or receiving information, please see our website at http://www.iiss.org/manama-dialogue or contact our press department via email: dialoguepress@iiss.org.