CAIRO: Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Sabah, emphasized on Wednesday, Kuwait’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people, the acquisition of their legitimate political rights, and the establishment of an independent state. This was during a meeting with the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini.

The meeting, which discussed mechanisms ensuring the sustainability of UNRWA’s work, took place on the sidelines of the Arab League's 160th ministerial meeting at the league’s headquarters in Cairo. Lazzarini spoke of the agency’s efforts, its humanitarian projects, and its activities in alleviating the suffering of Palestinian refugees around the globe. The UN Commissioner-General also took the opportunity to hail Kuwait’s support for the Palestinian people and commend its contributions to projects aiding refugees.

On his part, Minister Al-Sabah further reasserted Kuwait’s stance towards the agency’s projects and its noble aims, as it plays a pivotal role in providing necessary services to Palestinian refugees. Meanwhile, the open-ended Arab Ministerial Committee in Support of the State of Palestine called on Wednesday on Arab countries to work with actors in the international community and regional and international groups to mobilize the necessary efforts for Palestine to obtain full membership in the United Nations.

This came in the final statement issued by the committee meeting held on the sidelines of the 160th regular session of the Arab League Council at the level of Arab foreign ministers. The committee called for the necessity of launching a dialogue with countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine, with the aim of completing the path towards its recognition. It also called for action within the framework of the international community to provide international protection for the Palestinian people from Israeli occupation aggression and terrorist settler gangs in all Palestinian cities, villages, and camps.

The meeting also called for the necessity of working with countries and regional and international organizations to hold an international conference on the sidelines of the meetings of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly to revive the peace process. The committee was held under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the 32nd session of the Arab Summit, and the membership of Jordan, Algeria, Palestine, Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League.

Joint Arab work

In another development, Arab Foreign Ministers on Wednesday examined a number of topics concerning joint Arab work, and regional and international challenges, during the Arab League's 160th ministerial meeting. The meeting, held at the secretariat's headquarters in Cairo, was chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and attended by League's Secretary General Ahmad Abulgheit, Arab Foreign Ministers and heads of delegations as well as UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini.

The Ministers delved into a number of political, economic, social, legal, financial and administrative issues, at the forefront of which is the Palestinian issue and the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Arab diplomats handled issues of national security, anti-terrorism and several committees' reports as well as a proposal put forth by the State of Kuwait on cooperation in field of artificial intelligence. Heading the Kuwaiti delegation is Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Sabah. - KUNA