Stockholm: Director of the Media and Communication Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim bin Sultan Al-Hashmi, participated in a panel discussion entitled “Building Humanitarian Bridges: Middle Powers and the EU- MENA Cooperation in an Era of Competing Systems,” as part of the Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, held in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
During the session, Al-Hashmi emphasized that the State of Qatar’s mediation efforts are grounded in upholding the principles of international law, building trust, and resolving disputes through peaceful means, thereby creating the conditions necessary to spare peoples the ravages of conflicts and avert their severe humanitarian, economic, and developmental repercussions.
He explained that the repercussions of the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz extend beyond their impact on energy supplies and regional economies. If the crisis persists, they could also affect the lives of millions of people who rely on employment in the Gulf states to earn a living and support their families in their home countries, in addition to their implications for the ability of the region’s countries to respond to humanitarian needs and sustain their long-term development contributions.
The Director of Media and Communications Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that such repercussions place additional pressure on global development efforts, which are already facing growing funding gaps, thereby exacerbating needs and further increasing the burdens borne by the most vulnerable populations and those most severely affected by crises.
He stressed the need to develop innovative approaches to development and assistance that strengthen communities’ resilience and self-reliance, and support their transition from recurring dependence on aid towards achieving sustainable development, underscoring the importance of international cooperation and the exchange of expertise in this field, and highlighting Sweden’s experience in development cooperation and humanitarian action.
The session was attended by H.E. Mr. Mikael Lindvall, Director-General for Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden; Dr. Manal Radwan, Advisor and Envoy of His Highness the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Negotiations and Peace Efforts; as well as a number of researchers and civil society representatives.
