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Global experts to join Bahrain geo-economics forum

Manama , March 20, 2012

A group of prominent policy makers, academics, government and business leaders will assemble in Bahrain to discuss economic trends and their impact this month.

They will take part in the seminar “A New Era of Geo-economics: Assessing the Interplay of Economic and Political Risk” organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) on March 24 and 25.

The seminar, part of a wider IISS Geo-Economics & Strategy Programme, will analyse current economic trends, and increase understanding of their impact on the global governance agenda, their ramifications for international security and diplomacy and the global distribution of power.

The high-level seminar, of no more than 50 participants, will include, amongst others:
• Arvind Virmani, executive director, International Monetary Fund
• Lord Skidelsky, Member House of Lords, UK; emeritus professor of political economy, University of Warwick
• Professor Dr Kurt Lauk, president, Economic Council of the CDU
• Robert Blackwill, Henry A Kissinger Fellow US Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
• Abdullah Bin Fahd Bin Ghorab Al Marri, chairman, Qatar First Financial Bank
• Dato Dr Michael Yeoh, co-founder and chief executive, Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute
• Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, governor, Central Bank of Bahrain

Commenting on the seminar, Dr John Chipman CMG, director-general and chief executive, IISS, said:
“The rise of high-growth markets and the continued transatlantic economic crisis is creating a heightened awareness of political risk; while political change is itself having wide ranging economic impact. This seminar is meant to explore how to understand the interplay of economic and political risk so that governments and businesses can develop more sophisticated methods to identify prospective geo-economic and geo-strategic shifts. Bahrain’s location at the heart of the energy-rich Gulf and its links to both developed markets in the West and the growth markets in the East, make it an excellent location from which to assess these trends.”

Kamal bin Ahmed, Minister of Transportation and acting chief executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), said: “Bringing together such internationally renowned dignitaries, thinkers, business leaders and researchers, will be of tremendous value to inform global thinking on future geo-economic strategies and issues. Bahrain's role as a regional business centre at the heart of the GCC means that Bahrain is well-placed to contribute to this debate. The EDB welcomes IISS’s initiative to help to increase understanding of how to address the geo-economic challenges of tomorrow.”

Dr Sanjaya Baru, director, geo-economics and strategy, IISS: “Over the last four years we have witnessed an unprecedented level of economic shocks that have reverberated around the world impacting the global governance agenda and distribution of power. The IISS seminar will provide a crucial platform to analyse the impact of recent events on the global economy, and provide intelligence for businesses and governments to reassess their ideas about risk and stability.”

The seminar will comprise several sessions to inspire open debate, including:
• Understanding Geo-economics and strategy: Introductory Thoughts
• Defining Economic and Financial Power
• Measuring Strategic Influence
• Interpreting Economic and Political Risk
• Anticipating Strategic Change from Economic Shocks
• Acting on Geo-economic and Strategic Risk

The IISS Geo-economics and Strategy Seminar is invitation-only and off-the-record to encourage frank and dynamic discussion. On conclusion of the seminar, select papers will be published in a range of IISS publications.

The IISS established its regional operations in Bahrain in 2010 to conduct research on Gulf and Middle East security, as well as relations between the Middle East and other regions. With headquarters in London, the organisation has long-standing regional offices in Washington and Singapore, and launched the high profile Manama Dialogue security conference and the Bahrain Global Forum on geo-economics in recent years. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Bahrain | Experts | IISS | geo-economics |

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