Stressing that "all Middle Eastern nations become members in such an organization" implies inviting Israel, with which most of the 22 members of the Arab League still do not have diplomatic relations and whose existence some still refuse to recognize.

Only Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania enjoy diplomatic relations with Israel. Some of the Gulf Cooperation Council states have engaged in commercial exchanges with the Jewish state but have stopped short of full diplomatic recognition.

Addressing a conference organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheik Khalid ibn Ahmad al-Khalifa on Friday said a forum was needed in which key actors in the region "could interact frankly and openly, and in which they can both hold one another to accounts for their actions and reactions."

Syria, which in the past was not a participant to the Manama Dialogue conference, was supposed to attend this year's meeting but canceled at the last minute. Meeting organizers did not specify the reason for the cancellation, stating simply there were "complications."

"This is an organization in which countries that do not necessarily like nor even recognize each other yet sit together and address pressing issues," said the Bahraini foreign minister.

Singling out the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, terrorism, piracy in the Horn of Africa and the worldwide financial crunch, Khalifa stressed the need for regional cooperation to help solve the many problems affecting the Middle East.

The foreign minister was speaking at a dinner in the capital, Manama, to a group of some 500 government officials, diplomats, journalists and conflict-resolution specialists attending the fifth Manama Dialogue conference, representing delegations from the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as other international key players in the region, including the United States and several European countries.

The U.S. delegation was led by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and included Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William J. Burns, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, and several top military officers.

The Bahraini foreign minister stated that establishing such an organization would not be easy. "The depth and diversity of problems such an organization will face, and convincing all actors to participate actively and in good faith" would be a tough job, he said. He called on the support of the international community to help bring all sides to the table.

It was crucial for such an organization to be seen as "a genuinely Middle Eastern body in which Middle Eastern countries sit down to reach Middle Eastern solutions to Middle Eastern issues," Khalifa said.

The foreign minister said he was confident that discussions reached over the next few days of the Manama Dialogue conference would produce new perspectives on the issues and new ways of thinking about possible solutions.

He further warned that the effects of the looming economic and financial crisis were only now beginning to emerge.

"This is clearly no time for complacency. The crisis will undoubtedly have a major economic effect in developing countries," warned the Bahraini official.

"We must never lose sight of the fact that security is intimately related to development and to prosperity," said the minister.

He stressed the importance of minimizing the effects of the crisis and of maintaining "the pillars of a decent life for ordinary citizens."

"Mercifully," he said, "the Gulf Cooperation Council countries may be less impacted than others" by the financial crisis.

Addressing the election of Barack Obama, Khalifa called it "historical" but warned the president-elect undoubtedly will face new challenges and will tackle regional issues, most notably a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue.

"All of us recognize the role of the United States in this region, particularly in the Arabian Gulf, will be a key factor in this future security," he said.

He added, however, that "the United States does not have a magic wand to solve all crises," and he asked for a "genuine dialogue among nations."

The Bahraini official said the recent "reprehensible terror attacks in Mumbai are a poignant example of the need for all nations to work in tandem to find, deny safe haven and bring to justice all terrorists."

"Whoever supports, facilitates or participates in financing, planning, preparation or commission of terrorist acts is a terrorist," he said.

Stressing the need to address these issues sooner rather than later, he reminded his audience that "far-off threats are closer to home than ever before."

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