After gathering in
Washington, DC (2009), Moscow (2010), and Beijing (2011), the MSC Core
Group held its 4th meeting in Doha, Qatar, on 22 May 2013. Hosted by the
chairman of the MSC, Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, and under the
patronage of the Prime Minister of Qatar, H.E. Skeikh Hamad bin Jassim
Al Thani, 50 senior decision makers and representatives from government,
business and civil society from around the world focused on the current
developments in the region. The topics ranged from the situations in
Syria and Iran to the implications of changing energy realities and the
state of regional cooperation.

In his opening speech, Qatar's
Prime Minister Skeikh Al Thani underlined the gravity of the Syrian
challenge. "The situation in Syria is deeply disturbing - if ..."