The Middle East must speak "with one voice" on issues of concern, Bahrain's foreign minister has said.
Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani was speaking during a security conference in Manama on Saturday.
Arab and Gulf states have voiced concerns about the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the international community, including rising food prices that have affected the region.
"We are stronger and more effective when speaking with one voice, whether to adversaries within our region or to extra-regional states, ensuring that our interests are better heard and understood," Mr Al Zayani said.
He told delegates at the annual International Institute of Strategic Studies Manama Dialogue that unity would ensure the region's "interests are better heard and understood".
The region cannot be turned into a proxy theatre for external conflicts and their spillover, he said, adding that "it is in no one’s interests" for this to happen.
The Middle East has "enough on its plate without importing extra issues", he said.
"Because of its geostrategic importance, the Middle East will continue to be the subject of direct focus and involvement from outside powers, for better and for worse, over the foreseeable future," Mr Al Zayani said.
He said the region must focus on consistency, cohesion and connectivity.
"The region has suffered enough, we have so many issues and crisis and we need to continue playing our role [GCC] in assisting and helping in achieving peace in the region," Mr Al Zayani said.
He said Bahrain believed the only way to end the war in Ukraine was through a political solution, noting that the kingdom was among the first countries to call for diplomatic talks to resolve the conflict.
Conflict starts due to failure in diplomacy and ends due to success in diplomacy, Mr Al Zayani said.
"We are asking the world to help, we have seen what happened when Europe was unstable. We have seen the two world wars. We know how important the stability and security of Europe is," he said.
"We need to unite and work together to limit the effects of this war. We've seen its effect — if someone is not affected today, they will be tomorrow."
Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, who spoke after Mr Al Zayani, said Russia's war was a concern for the whole world.
"Russia’s war of aggression is truly a global issue. It is responsible for the current food crisis. It is using food dependencies to further its military goals," Mr Haavisto said.
Moscow has chosen to attack not only Ukraine, but also the entire international order, he said.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
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- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
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