According to a report by SANA, Qatar’s foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, held a conversation through telephone with Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. The purpose of the call was to lead up to more discussions on the military escalation currently in play within the region and its potential implications both regionally and internationally, as reported by the Qatar News Agency. The two diplomats also discussed the increasing levels of risk caused by this conflict (or the situation at hand) and how to prevent those risks from continuing or getting worse.
During the course of the discussion between the two diplomats, Minister Al Thani expressed his concerns about the continued Iranian attacks against both Qatar and other nations. He also warned that continued attacks on vital infrastructure, particularly water, food, and energy, could impact places outside of the immediate “battlefield.” Finally, Minister Al Thani requested greater coordination, more joint actions between countries, and a return to the previously established diplomatic channels to ensure energy security, freedom of navigation, a safe environment, and regional stability through diplomacy.
The region’s broader concern over diplomacy is also emphasized by today’s situation: when there are tensions, there is a relatively good chance that those tensions will escalate. If a conflict occurs between two or more countries and involves some sort of infrastructure, rapidly the effect of that conflict may be transferred to the civilian population in that area via trade or in the international market. Thus, we must find ways to encourage both restraint and diplomacy between the parties engaged in a dispute, as well as use dialogue that is based on practical measures to reduce the exposure of both sides (parties) to the risk of further escalation of the situation while allowing for openness of communication between those engaged in the dispute; i.e., long-term solutions to intense tension are best achieved through dialogue and negotiation rather than by military force.
On August 10, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul informed Al Thani that there are larger networks of diplomatic communications related to de-escalation according to SANA report. As such, there are a number of reasons for different nation-states to be working hard to avoid seeing the potential continuation of an existing conflict through the continuation of ongoing diplomatic efforts by their governments through their representatives before the potential continuation of a regional conflict occurs.
Despite the political circumstances of a period of regional conflict, events occur where civilian life can change dramatically due to cut-off energy corridors and/or interruptions in international security for civilians; however, both Doha and Oslo have a common theme that the period of time exists for reaching an agreement on the cessation of hostilities and having a period of “peace and stability” (as a result of the ongoing cessation of hostilities) before any time can be negotiated for a duration of time before returning to a lasting state of peace between both nations. Therefore, despite peace being a political choice under all conditions, having strategic framework(s) are essential.
