By NNN-WAM
New York : As the world waits the Middle East peace conference this autumn, the UAE is looking forward to a comprehensive, balanced and fair management of the peace process as well as to putting an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict in all spheres, the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said at the UN.
He stressed the need of engaging all concerned parties in serious negotiations founded on the Arab Peace Initiative, the Road Map and the United Nations Security Council Resolutions as well as on the rules of international, legitimacy in general.
”This should all be in accordance with a clearly defined timetable on the necessary steps and procedures to reach a just, permanent and comprehensive peace in the region, Sheikh Abdullah said in statement he delivered Friday night before the General Debate of the Sixty-second Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“The United Arab Emirates expresses its disappointment at the current situation in the Middle East in general and in the Palestinian Territories in particular, as a result of the continued aggression by Israel and its occupation of Palestinian and other Arab lands.”
”We renew our support for the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and its affiliated constitutional and legitimate institutions and call on the United Nations, and the Security Council in particular, to play a more active role, together with the Middle East Quartet, in order to give new momentum to the Middle East peace process, ”said Sheikh Abdullah who is leading the UAE delegation to the General Assembly meetings.
He added ”We stress that no solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is possible without Israel’s acceptance of the Arab Initiative, which is based on the relevant United Nations resolutions.
Sheikh Abdullah admitted that severe conflicts had sorely wounded the region, and quick and effective treatment is required.
He drew the attention of delegates to the fact that, until now, no progress whatsoever has been made on the settlement of the issue of the Iranian occupation in 1971 of the three UAE islands of Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa.
”This lack of progress has been despite all the efforts and constructive peaceful initiatives that my country consistently puts forward, all of which have been endorsed by the Arab Gulf Co-operation Council and by the Council of the League of Arab States, as well as by other peace-loving nations, he noted.
Turning to Iraq, the UAE top diplomat said while the UAE expressing its support for the efforts being made to promote reconstruction in Iraq and, it holds, at the same time, the firm belief that all should abstain from interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and should display respect for the national sovereignty of Iraq.
This, according to him, requires that all parties should co-operate to bring to an end the cycle of violence, and to the inciting of feelings, and that they should work to counter calls for partition and division.
”The United Arab Emirates is deeply concerned over the growing number of Iraqi refugees seeking asylum in neighboring countries and the resulting tragic humanitarian situation, as well as the consequent breaking up of the country’s demographic structure.
The UAE also renewed its support for Syria’s right to regain its full sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.
Speaking about Lebanon, Sheikh Abdullah said “’The UAE collaborates closely with the efforts being undertaken by the Lebanese Government and the United Nations to remove mines and ordnance, this work having originally commenced as part of an initiative taken by the United Arab Emirates in 2001, when my Government provided initial funding of US $ 50 million.”
On Sudan, the UAE welcomed the Peace Agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Sudan on the deployment of a hybrid African Union and United Nations peacekeeping force in the Sudanese region of Darfur.
Outlining UAE efforts on development aid worldwide, Sheikh Abdullah said the United Arab Emirates plays a role in helping to find solutions to a number of regional and international issues, in Asia and Africa, in particular, through its provision of over US $ 70 billion in loans, grants and assistance for development projects in over 95 countries.
The United Arab Emirates also launched earlier this month the “Dubai Cares” charity campaign, a fundraising drive to provide, in its first stage, primary education for more than a million children across the world, especially in Asia and Africa.