Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the Arab region have emphasised the regional importance given to the Palestinian cause, and the adherence to a two-state solution in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The ministers also issued a decision at the conclusion of their emergency meeting in Cairo, on Monday, based on a joint Egyptian initiative. The decision stressed the need to restore momentum for joint Arab action based on a vision that keeps pace with developments.
It also seeks to achieve the interests of the Arab peoples in a changing world in which there are many challenges. The decision also relates to fully adhering to the principled issues and fixed rights that do not change with the circumstances, the most important of which is the Palestinian cause.
The ministers also stressed that national security across the region is of great significance, and that Arab countries need to stand together to face imminent dangers and international and regional interference, whilst defending common regional interests.
They noted the importance of restoring regional cohesion, and adhering to the unified Arab position on the rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, and references on the peace process and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The ministers said that Arab countries fall under the Arab League’s umbrella, which defends common interests and regional national security amid various interactions and developments in the international arena. This takes place in a way that prevents pressures and interventions from regional and international powers to achieve the agendas and interests of those powers at the expense of Arab interests.
The ministers reaffirmed the importance of the Palestinian issue to the Arab countries, and the region’s support of the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Foremost of these rights is that of self-determination and the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state, according to 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The ministers also stressed the region’s adherence to the two-state solution that embodies an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of international law.
They said that Arab countries will continue to defend the right of the Palestine State to sovereignty over its lands, and affirm the importance of the role of Hashemite guardianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The ministers also affirmed the Arab rejection of any unilateral Israeli projects or steps that violate the rights of the Palestinian people and international law, whilst undermining the two-state solution.
There is a need to adhere to international legitimacy resolutions, foremost of which are UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate and complete cessation of all settlement activities.
The Ministers urged all international parties, including the UN and the Quartet, to take practical steps to launch credible negotiations that will lead to an end to the Israeli occupation, and to achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.
