Tehran: The UAE is committed to all principles on which the Non-Aligned Movement was established, particularly respecting the sovereignty of states, settlement of conflicts through peaceful means as well as the rejection of foreign occupation, Minister of State for Foreign Affair Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash said.
Based on these principals, the UAE urged Iran to respond to its calls to find a peaceful and just solution to the issue of the UAE’s islands of Abu Mousa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs which are currently occupied by the Islamic Republic of Iran, either through bilateral negotiations or by referring the case to the International Court of Justice.
In a statement to the Nam Summit, which begins in Tehran on Thursday, Dr Gargash said peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without Israel’s withdrawal from all Arab and Palestinian territories it occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, the Syrian Golan Heights and South Lebanon, and the establishment a viable Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967, borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He also demanded the international community create a “WMD-free zone” in the Middle East and the Gulf region, as well as to press Israel join the Non-Proliferation Treaty and subject its nuclear facilities to international inspections in compliance with the relevant international resolutions.
The UAE also reiterated its commitment to the unity of Yemen and respect for its sovereignty and independence as well as to the providing political and economic support for it to achieve national peace and stability.
The UAE, the statement said, has been following with concern the developments in the Syrian crisis and calls for a “halt to the killing of Syrian brothers all over Syria by the regime’s heavy weapons including tanks, artillery and military aircraft. The UAE calls on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and take effective steps to protect Syrian civilians and welcomes the resolutions of the League of Arab States, the recent extraordinary summit of the Organisation of Islamic Countries [OIC] in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations General Assembly.”
“The UAE underscores the need for providing all forms of humanitarian support to the Syrian people, intensified Arab and international efforts to spare the blood of Syrians as well as for delivering emergency humanitarian aid to them. The UAE stresses on the need for peaceful transition in Syria in order to protect its security, stability and unity as well as to meet the demands of the Syrian people.”
He said the UAE also reiterated its support to the sovereign and territorial integrity and political independence of Somalia.
Dr Gargash said: “We look forward to effective responses by Nam to tackle global economic and financial challenges, the consequences of climate change, combating transnational organised cross-border crimes as well as enhance the possibilities for sustainable development as a national and international responsibility in order to ensure security and stability worldwide. Therefore these issues should be given the utmost attention along with cooperation on comprehensive development among Nam member countries and the advanced nations and a greater contribution by the developing nations to the international economic, trade and financial regimes.”
The UAE also hailed the efforts by Nam member countries to enhance and speed up the implementation of the outcome and recommendations of all regional and international conferences and conventions on women’s development.
“We also call for intensified efforts to combat human trafficking crimes, and trafficking in women and girls in particular, to the implementation of the international anti-human trafficking plan and to provide financial support to the fund.” the statement said.
