UAE | General
UAE renews call to settle islands row
The UAE has renewed its call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to its peaceful initiatives for settling the issue of its three islands.
- WAM
- Published: 00:02 July 31, 2008
Tehran: The UAE has renewed its call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to its peaceful initiatives for settling the issue of its three islands - Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Mousa occupied by Iran in 1971, either through direct bilateral negotiations or by referring the case to the International Court of Justice.
The UAE call was made yesterday by Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, while addressing the 15th meeting of foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM.)
The enhancement of NAM's capacity to stand up to international challenges requires true commitment to the principles it was founded for, mainly those dealing with respect for sovereignty of states and self-determination of people, non-interference into other state's affairs and settlement of disputes and cases of foreign occupation through peaceful means, Gargash said.
The UAE minister demanded the international community take necessary measures as per the international law to establish a zone free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) including a nuclear free zone in the Middle East and the Gulf. He also called on the world community to put pressure on Israel so as to accede to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and place its nuclear facilities under the surveillance of the International Atomic Energy Agency in compliance with UN relevant resolutions.
The UAE, while condemning the aggressions and crimes of war being committed by the occupying state of Israel against the Palestinian people on the Palestinian occupied lands, reaffirms the key role the UN and mainly the security council can play to force Israel to halt its crimes against the Palestinian people, end its occupation and stop expropriation of land to build more colonies and the separation wall which violates international legitimacy resolutions, he added.
He stressed that efforts should be doubled to spur the international community including the UN, security council, major world powers and parties to the conflict in the Middle East to revive peace negotiations on the basis of the land for peace formula and the Middle East peace road map.
Gargash was addressing the 15th meeting of foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement
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