Tehran Dialogue Forum: reflections and retrospections
As once-bitter foes posed for photos hand in hand, whether during bilateral visits or international platforms, it seems that this year Middle Eastern leaders have been largely on the same page — something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. With bonhomie on display, it appears that regional war fatigue had finally kicked in and resultantly opened up room for discussions, where previously there had been none.
Instances of amity can be seen in President Erodgan’s first official visit to the UAE in nine years, followed by a visit to Saudi Arabia. He later hosted his one time nemesis, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), in Ankara.
Another example is the FIFA 2022 in Doha where, putting aside old grudges, the leaders from the Middle East got together and displayed the shift in their approach towards the region. While MBS donned a scarf reminiscent of the Qatari flag during the opening game, the emir of Qatar reciprocated by draping a Saudi flag around his shoulders during the Saudi-Argentina clash. The gesture, though small, was highly symbolic and showcased true commitment towards normalising past rifts and a genuine drive towards geopolitical coordination.
However, cleavages still remain — the oldest being the Palestinian issue. It goes without saying that there can be no peace in the Middle East till the Palestinian issue is resolved. Despite garnering muted support as compared to previous years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the knot which inhibits — whether directly or indirectly — regional peace.
The theme of the third Tehran Dialogue Forum was centred around the need for friendship and trust building. Attended by delegates from more than forty countries, there was a general agreement that continuance of dialogue was important. In simple terms, no dialogue means backwashing any progress made in the past.
As with other parts of the world, there is a competition of narratives when it comes to defining the Middle East and this ambiguity brings about disruptive tendencies. Assumptions need to be revisited and pragmatism should be given priority over politics. During the conference, there was a consensus that in order to build connectivity, bridges of discussion need to be constructed on commonalities where there is clarity, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
Safe to say that the era of ‘hegemonic dominance’ is over. In the contemporary world, we are witnessing a new nature of international relations in which instead of a single power playing a central role, every country, regardless of size, matters. This diversity should be taken into account in this new global context. In this new nature of international relations, countries need to recognise that the maintenance of the previous order is costly and not effective. Hence, using commonality of interests as the base and engaging in constructive diplomacy — whether bilateral, trilateral or multilateral — is now a key component of international politics.
In this age of geo-economics, the cognitive point of collusion for all countries looking with a progressive mindset should be a rejection of the zero-sum system and the approach should be that only regional inhabitants should decide the future of their generations. Leaders need to go beyond the traditional blame game and the language of communication needs to change. Making a single country a pariah serves no purpose and incurs only global losses, especially for border countries, since neighbours are permanent. Concrete linkages between people need to be built, for instance on the academic front. Another avenue is through the right use of media to change the mindset of the populace.
After all, all big roads start with a small step. Development requires cooperation otherwise by domino effect, the alternative is regional instability and eventual destruction.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2022.
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