Politics & Power Quote by Ali A. Saleh

Diplomacy loves a list, because a list sounds like substance even when it’s mostly choreography. Ali A. Saleh’s sentence reads like a press communique engineered to project motion: economic, democratic, security, political. The breadth is the point. By naming every major category of statecraft, he signals that the Paris meetings were not narrow bargaining sessions but a comprehensive alignment effort, the kind that grants legitimacy to whoever gets to sit at the table.

The phrasing is also carefully de-risked. “Tackled” implies seriousness without committing to outcomes. “Means for combating terrorism” invokes the most internationally marketable justification for cooperation, especially in a Paris setting where counterterrorism carries moral urgency and policy cover. It’s a familiar move: terrorism becomes the umbrella under which security collaboration, intelligence sharing, or even controversial domestic measures can be framed as responsible governance rather than repression.

Then comes the real tell: “latest regional and international developments of mutual interest, especially those in region.” The vagueness isn’t accidental; it’s protective. Specifics would create obligations, offend rivals, or reveal priorities. “Mutual interest” is diplomatic code for transactional alignment, while “especially those in region” suggests the gravitational pull of nearby crises without naming the players. The subtext is reassurance: to domestic audiences, it says leadership is engaged and relevant; to foreign counterparts, it says we’re a necessary partner on stability.

As a writer’s line, it’s less about narrative than positioning: a performance of competence, consensus, and strategic indispensability.