Damascus is the paradise of the world.

These are the words of the great geographer al-Muqáddasi, who travelled the Arab world and mapped it in the 10th century.

As Foreign Minister, my work allows me to be sort of a traveller myself.

And, as it happens, before I came here to Manama, I had the opportunity to see Damascus with my own eyes.

And what I saw there was not a paradise, but the ruins and rubble of the civil war that a murderous regime waged against its own people.

But I also saw hope.

The fall of the Assad regime marks a turning point in Syria´s modern history. An opportunity for social reconciliation and for economic reconstruction.

This process will be challenging.

But already today, I can see that Syria is much freer than it was a year ago. We know – you know – that the political process still needs to become more inclusive and participatory.

To put it simply: minorities must be protected. The Syrian state should be one in which everyone finds their place.

On this long path to peace, Germany is ready to accompany and support Syria.

We are committed to a positive future for Syria.

But Syria is not the only example of positive change in this region, despite all its challenges.

I am happy and relieved to finally see progress in Gaza.

We see hope around the region. A vision for a peaceful and prosperous future.

We are grateful to President Trump for his strong commitment, and for getting the 20-point plan done and agreed.

We are grateful to our Arab partners, without whom a ceasefire – and this very plan – would not have been achieved.

Let us now work together to support the 20-point plan and iron out some crucial details – like the role of the PA and a pathway to a two-state solution.

We all have a positive vision for the future of Gaza. One in which Israelis and Palestinians live in two states, side-by-side, in peace and security.

My government fully supports this vision.

We are one of the most important donors of humanitarian support to the people in Gaza and – by the way – to the PA as well.

We have helped build Palestinian state institutions for 30 years.

We will not stop now.

For this mission to succeed, three main steps must be taken.

First: We still need much more humanitarian access. The situation for civilians in Gaza remains dire. That is something I constantly raise with my Israeli colleague.

Also, humanitarian assistance should not be politicised.

Second: The International Stabilization Force in Gaza will need a clear basis in international law.

We understand that this is of utmost importance to those countries that might be willing to send troops to Gaza, and for the Palestinians. Germany also wants to see a clear mandate for the mission.

And, third, it is important that we put pressure on and contain those who actively work against this vision.

Let us counter those who thrive on instability, and ensure that opponents to peace cannot succeed.

In this spirit, I will do my part and reach out to those with influence in the region and beyond.

We need to be very clear: the only reason we finally see a positive development in both Syria and Gaza is because we saw an alignment of forces. Not a complete alignment, of course, that’s never the case, but just enough to make it happen – if we keep going, that is.

To be sure, there is still a lot of work to be done, on Gaza alone. But in this room full of bright minds and bold leaders, let us think beyond the immediate.

Just imagine.

If we were to achieve a lasting peace in Gaza, we could use this precious alignment to address other pressing security challenges of our world: from Russia’s unrelenting aggression in Ukraine to the ravaging civil war in Sudan.

We all share one common interest.

That interest is peace. That interest is security.

With that vision in mind, we can think in terms of opportunities rather than crises.

Opportunities such as cooperation in the development of new technologies, new forms of energy, AI, nanotech, and so on.

Opportunities in the development of the whole region between the Mediterranean and the Gulf as an economic powerhouse.

Progress demands optimism.

But it also requires action.

Let us act together.

Shukran jazeelan, thank you very much.