Policy priorities for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan

The Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan is possibly the most politically unstable area in the world, combining immense wealth, political tensions, religious hostilities, vast inequality, and many autocratic governments. For more than a century, its enormous fossil fuel reserves helped fuel the economies of major economies. This has led the major Western powers, in their foreign policies, to prioritise secure supplies. Although the regime change in Syria and pause in the Gaza war give some slight grounds for optimism, the area remains a tinderbox in which further conflagration could cause big problems in the area and beyond. For such reasons, we have invited Hamish Falconer MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan to lead this roundtable which will be a good opportunity for members to raise key issues that affect their own businesses.