‘UAE stands firmly against all forms of terrorism’

Margarita Island: The UAE stands firmly against all forms of terrorism and religious extremism that destroy the social fabric of society, affect national harmony and threaten global peace and security.

The remarks were made by Dr Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, at the 17th meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), being held in Margarita, Venezuela.

Making a statement as the head of the UAE’s delegation to the 17th meeting of NAM, he called for consolidated international efforts to counter issues about terrorism at all levels.

“It is important that all countries unite and follow a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism straight at its source and track down those who commit such acts,” Dr Al Zeyoudi said.

Reaffirming the country’s commitment to the international goals of combating terrorism, he said that the UAE considers itself an important partner in all regional and global alliances that combat terrorism on a security, cultural and intellectual level.

The UAE has a clear foreign policy that is based on non-interference in the internal affairs of its neighbours and other countries, respecting their sovereignty and the unity of their land, he stressed, while emphasising that the country adamantly refuses to interfere in the affairs of other countries which could cause instability among the population.

He renewed the UAE’s call to Iran to be responsive to the country’s calls for a peaceful solution of Iran’s occupation of the three UAE islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, through direct negotiations or through international jurisdiction in accordance with the United Nations (UN) convention and the principles of international law.

Regarding the situation in Syria, he stressed that the UAE continued to work towards putting an end to the war and the humanitarian crisis that the Syrian population is going through. He stressed the importance of finding a political solution to the crisis that is based on the requirements of the First Statement of Geneva and accomplishes the aspirations of the Syrian people in forming a transitional power with complete jurisdiction.

This, he said, will ultimately end the cycle of death and destruction, and will help create a national platform to build Syria, and will be inclusive of all national components which will fight extremism and terrorism.

Dr Al Zeyoudi stressed that the UAE supports the constitutional legitimacy of Yemen, respects its sovereignty and independence and refuses any interference in its internal affairs. He stressed the importance of reaching a political solution to the Yemeni crisis based on specific fundamentals. These include legitimacy, the GCC initiative and the Riyadh announcement as well as the outcomes of the national dialogue and decisions of the Arab League and the UN Security Council, especially resolution No. 2216.

The minister also emphasised the UAE’s stance regarding the importance of the Israeli withdrawal from all Palestinian and Arab lands based on the 1967 lines in accordance with international legislations and the Arab peace initiative. He said that it is important to support the state of Palestine in order to achieve full membership in all international organisations and treaties.

The minister said that the UAE condemns the nuclear test carried out by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as it is in defiance of the resolutions of the UN Security Council and poses a real threat to global security and stability. He stressed the importance of preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction around the world.

In conclusion, Dr Al Zeyoudi renewed the UAE’s call to the countries of the non-aligned movement to further their commitment to climate change, and encouraged them to join the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), which has its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, and to benefit from the programmes and opportunities the agency offers in the area of renewable energy.