Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Costa Rica, Manuel Gonzalez Sanz, on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, at Doha Sheraton Hotel, yesterday.
The first Plenary Session of the Doha 2017 Forum, held under the theme "The Changing Global Political Landscape" has discussed a number of issues affecting the international arena today, the most important of which is the refugee crisis.
At the beginning of the Session, Vice-President of the European Parliament Ryszard Kazzynski said that the world is currently witnessing exceptional moments, which may represent a major turning point due to the situation of refugees around the world, calling on the international community as a whole to contribute to resolving the refugee crisis.
If the refugees crisis is not resolved, it will lead to major changes that will affect the whole world, he said.
Europe has played a vital role in the world, but has now given it up to the US, he stressed, urging rich countries, in particular, to participate more actively in resolving the refugee issue.
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Minister for the Middle East and Africa Tobias Elwood said that the exchange and trade interdependence between countries at the present time represent an exceptional global phenomenon.
The changes taking place in the world occur at a rapid pace, he said, pointing out that the bodies and organizations responsible for decision-making are working slowly and unable to keep up with changes.
Brexit must not mean isolation of Britain from the rest of the international community or end its role in solving the crisis, he said, stressing his country's commitment to its role in the international arena.
Stephen O' Brien, the Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) thanked the Government and people of the State of Qatar for organizing this important forum.
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nikolay Mladenov said that the two-state solution was the ideal one for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
He added that resolving the conflict will also be the guarantee of success of the international community's counter-terrorism efforts. Mladenov said during a session entitled Political Crises and Their Implications on the Stability of the Middle-East that the current status quo on Palestinian land is unsustainable and can explode at any moment. The panel discussion was part of the schedule of the 17th Doha Forum.
