Ammon News - The 13th Amman Security Colloquium (ASC) will open next Wednesday with the participation of Arab and international figures and renowned speakers.

The annual gathering discusses foreign policy options, regional cooperation, disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, with a special focus on the Middle East region. It largely devotes its activities to discussing the growing use of nuclear energy in the region, as well as other issues such as means of international cooperation in enhancing security and developing economy.

Ayman Khalil, head of the ASC's organizing committee, said that the two-day colloquium will be held at the Wadi Rum amphitheater at the University of Jordan, with the participation of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, the Head of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), Khaled Toukan, the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Force in Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col, Senior Advisor to the United Arab Emirates Research Center, Shaikha Najlaa Al Qasimi, and National Security Adviser to Iraq, Qasim Al-Araji, in addition to a group of researchers and security experts worldwide.

Also participating in the ASC are security experts, diplomats, military attaches, members of security and military agencies, a number of international organizations, consultants, legal experts, risk analysts, academics and researchers, and media representatives.

The ASC, which is organized by the Arab Institute for Security Studies in cooperation with a number of governments and international organizations, includes a working session on Arabs and Turkey, namely addressing common concerns and means of cooperation, a session on maritime security in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Oman, and a session that tackles "what is beyond the traditional role" and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization's endeavors for the Middle East.

Additionally, a session will be held on enhancing the role of women and youth and their inclusion in security and disarmament issues, and a session on security challenges in the Middle East. The ASC will further address all aspects of non-conventional capabilities, which include nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological aspects.

Khalil pointed out that the ASC has made a name for itself among global security forums specialized in non-traditional capabilities. It also highlights Amman's role as an incubator for international dialogue and joint Arab action, he added.

The annual gathering of international experts and decision-makers aims to discuss emerging security challenges at the international and regional levels, he underlined.

On the sidelines of the colloquium, the Arab Institute for Security Studies will also organize a number of specialized dialogue sessions that bring together figures from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran.