The State of Qatar has participated in the 160th session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariate of the Arab League in Cairo.
HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi chaired the State of Qatar's delegation to the session.
In the State of Qatar's remarks before the session, His Excellency affirmed that Arab states face overwhelming challenges considering the rapid regional and international evolutions, pointing out that the economic crises witnessed by the world precipitate solidarity, integration, and collective work from the part of Arab states towards achieving collective peace and security in the region. They should also rearrange their priorities in economic and development plans that bring security, and economic and social welfare to the region's peoples.
At the level of achieving security and stability in the Arab region, His Excellency asserted that Arab states should accelerate steps towards achieving enduring, just and comprehensive peace in the region, especially on their central and primary issue which is the Palestinian cause, pointing out that the Israeli occupation authorities are still continuing escalation policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, along with their recurrent practices to compromise the religious and historical status of the sacred places which are rejected and condemned practices.
HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs held the Israeli occupation authorities alone accountable for the violence cycle arising from these violations and the systematic escalation policies, urging the international community to urgently act to stop these assaults. He reiterated the State of Qatar's firm position on the justice of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, including the full right to practice their religious rituals without restrictions and establish their independent state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
His Excellency outlined that the State of Qatar -stemming from its keenness to achieve security and stability across the Arab region- supports all good endeavors of the Arab brothers and neighboring Sudanese countries towards a permanent cessation of military conflict in Sudan. It also calls for wide negotiations with the engagement of all Sudanese political forces to reach a comprehensive agreement and sustainable peace that achieves the aspirations of the brotherly Sudanese people in stability, development, and prosperity.
Al Muraikhi reaffirmed the State of Qatar's call for synergistic efforts toward finding a political solution for the Syrian crisis and address its political, security, economic and humanitarian consequences based on the UN Security Council resolution No. 2254 to ensure unity and sovereignty of Syria and achieve its people's ambitions through creating appropriate conditions for the return of Syrian refugees.
He said that the State of Qatar calls for continuing to reach a political solution for the Yemeni crisis to ensure the security, stability, sovereignty and safety of Yemen and its people, lauding the unloading process of the crude oil from the decaying Safer Tank in the Red Sea by the United Nations.
He reaffirmed the State of Qatar's support for the Iraqi government's efforts to achieve security, stability and unity of Iraq, land and people, as well as Qatar's support for all efforts that aim to achieve political, economic and development stability in Libya, Lebanon and Somalia to achieve aspirations of brothers in those countries towards security, development and stability.
Al Muraikhi noted the State of Qatar's support for cementing Arab relations with the world countries through communication with peace-loving peoples, recalling the State of Qatar's condemnation in the strongest terms of the act of besmirching the Holy Quran in some European states recently, stressing that such horrendous acts are incitement act and dangerous provocation of the feelings of over two billion Muslims worldwide. He warned that allowing the recurrence of infringement of the Holy Qur'an under the pretext of freedom of expression foments hatred and violence and subsequently threatens peaceful coexistence.
He affirmed that the State of Qatar- stemming from its keenness to bolster the active Arab role and achieve Arab leadership globally- will exert its utmost efforts to contribute to all programs that aim to achieve comprehensive Arab national security, especially in food and water security.
He added that the State of Qatar backs all plans in the areas of energy, industry, agriculture and investment and urges intensification of Arab joint programs towards issues that concern the international community such as climate and environmental changes and eradication of poverty, achieve sustainable development and strives within the framework of the Arab joint action to formulate programs that aim to strengthen sources of strength and build capacities in professional media, higher education, production of knowledge, rehabilitation of young people, purification of the community's souls and immunize it against cultural alienation and prevention of hate speech.
In concluding his remarks, His Excellency stressed that the State of Qatar will spare no effort in working with Arab brothers with perseverance and determination to safeguard the Arab national security and peaceful solution for conflicts, promote communication with the external world to achieve the aspirations of the Arab region and the international community, in terms of peace, security and promotion of human rights, as well as drive development towards broader prospects and wider fields.
For the sake of this, he added that all plans, programs, means, mechanisms, and recommendations adopted by the Arab joint action will receive backing and support for the goodness and growth of the Arab nation.
Source: Qatar News Agency