Upon concluding the Summit, Kofi Annan said at the closing plenary in Jordan "I see a different future – one that we have the power to choose. I see humanity building on the achievements of the second half of the 20th Century, adapting them and carrying them further. I see human beings caring for each other, and states sharing responsibility for the safety and welfare of all people, where they may live" --a strong and powerful on the collective role and future.
A- The Future of the Middle East
| Though the political map of the Middle East has been changed substantially by the recent war, which offered new opportunities along with new grave risks, the Forum hoped that the countries in the region will have a unique possibility to work together to enhance economic prosperity and social development. |
The future of the Middle East is still at cross roads due to the instability created by the unresolved Arab-Israeli conflict and its regional and international impact. Though the political map of the Middle East has been changed substantially by the recent war, which offered new opportunities along with new grave risks, the Forum hoped that the countries in the region will have a unique possibility to work together to enhance economic prosperity and social development, which are absolute prerequisites for political stability in the region. An analysis of the necessary reforms, including the need to improve competitiveness, create better conditions for foreign investment and promote free trade, will be at the forefront of the discussions. The major issue remains the settling of the Arab-Israel conflict though many of the Arab nations are still pondering on whether to accept the idea of Israel being part of the development process of a peaceful Middle East. For his part, Nabeel Kassis, Minister of Planning of the Palestinian Authority, said that the Palestinian situation is unique. The source of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not ethnicity, he explained. "We have been under occupation for 36 years." The key to nation building is to win public support. "A nation cannot be built from the outside; it is built from within," the minister said.
Colin Powell speaking at the Forum said he will never forget the strong statement that was made by Arab leaders at Sharm el Sheikh, “a statement that I repeat over and over to audiences around the world to show the commitment of the Arab states to eliminate the culture of extremism and violence in any form or shape, from whatever source or place, regardless of justifications or motives”. So too was the pledge that they made to prevent support from reaching terrorist groups that continue to foment terror and violence.
He added that a day later at Aqaba, a moment he will never forget, a scene he will never forget, there “we saw the Prime Ministers of Israel and the Palestinian authority, standing alongside King Abdullah and President Bush, all giving that consistent theme in their presentations that violence must end and they committed themselves to real steps to achieve the promise of peace for their people.”
Powell emphasized on President Bush's “commitment to put reform squarely on America's Middle East agenda,” saying that as the President proclaimed when he announced his proposals, “free markets and trade have helped defeat poverty and taught men and women the habits of liberty.” The President he said calls for strengthening trade and investment ties between the United States and the countries of the Middle East, culminating in the creation of a U.S.-Middle East free trade area within a decade. “That is what he called for, and we are already seeing right here, in Jordan, the power of the free trade engine.”
Powell showed the urgency for the U.S. to see changes and reforms being brought to the Middle East and essentially into the Arab nations that the U.S. in particular considers as the berth of Islamic terrorism and of the pockets of dangers to the very existence of the U.S. as a super power. Dealing with the issues he mentioned during the conference and dealt by the participating nations will be the core elements of discussions and focus in the near future in the Middle East.
