CAIRO: The Arab League Secretary-General Ahmad Abul Gheit said that the final resolution of the Palestinian issue passes through a single path, which is the two-state solution. In a speech during the extraordinary session of the Arab Ministerial Council to support the Palestinian cause yesterday, Abul Gheit affirmed that the international consensus on the two-state solution must be translated into a practical move that leads to saving this solution from continuous Israeli attempts aimed at undermining and marginalizing it.
He also noted that the settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem constitutes a serious obstacle to the two-state solution, which is illegal activity and a "violation" of international legitimacy resolutions, foremost of which is Security Council Resolution No. 2334. Abul Gheit called on all international parties, led by the international quartet, to make a real effort to launch a political process that has a clear timeline based on the results of previous negotiation rounds, principles of international law and the foundations of the Arab Peace Initiative.
He stressed that the Palestinian people have all the support, respect and appreciation from all Arab peoples. The Secretary-General also reaffirmed support for all measures taken by the Palestinian presidency in order to strengthen the unity of the Palestinians and restore unity to it through elections and reconciliation together.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry called for safeguarding "the status quo in the occupied Palestinian territories" and warned against any "alterations on the ground." Addressing the meeting, Shukry stressed on the necessity of supporting legitimate rights of the Palestinian people noting that "just causes never cease to exist." Egypt believes in the necessity of respecting the status quo in Jerusalem and averting any measure that may aggravate the conflict, he said.
Meeting's agenda
Earlier yesterday, Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah met with Abul Gheit in Cairo, ahead of the extraordinary Arab foreign ministerial meeting. Sheikh Dr Ahmad and Abul Gheit examined, during their meeting, the agenda of the scheduled ministerial conference and coordination regarding "the march of joint Arab action."
The meeting was attended by the Assistant Foreign Minister for the Arab Homeland Affairs Ambassador Fahad Al-Awadhi, and the State of Kuwait Permanent Delegate at the Arab League Ahmad Al-Bakr. Sheikh Dr Ahmad had held talks with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) chief Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf, a day before the Arab League held the emergency meeting.
Sheikh Dr Ahmad also met with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riadh Al-Malki on fringes of the extraordinary meeting. The two top officials discussed ways of boosting bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. In the meantime, Sheikh Dr Ahmad discussed bilateral relations with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Sunday. Talks between the two also focused on regional and international developments in addition to matters of "mutual concern", said a Kuwaiti foreign ministry statement.
In addition, Sheikh Dr Ahmad met with Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr Ahmad Awadh bin Mubarak, and the two sides discussed ways of boosting bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues. Sheikh Dr Ahmad also met with his Jordanian counterpart Aymad Safadi and discussed means of further promoting relations between the two countries, in addition to a host of regional and global matters. Moreover, Sheikh Dr Ahmad met with Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum, and they discussed ways of boosting bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. - KUNA