Statehood of Palestine crucial to Middle East stability: Bahrain Minister tells Arab-Japan dialogue

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Middle East will remain “safe and stable” only through measures to establish the independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani also highlighted the conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Libya and foreign interference in the internal affairs of Arab states as the other factors threatening the stability of the region.

Al Zayani was speaking during the second session of the Ministerial Meeting of the Arab-Japan Political Dialogue, held virtually. Foreign ministers of the Arab countries, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Secretary-General of the Arab League were present.

“Efforts are ongoing to establish peace and stability in the region, including the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a ceasefire in Yemen under the supervision of the United Nations,” Al Zayani told the meeting, highlighting the need for regional and international cooperation in the field of maritime and energy security.

He pointed out that the “terrorist attacks occurred in the Middle East since 2019 to obstruct oil supplies and target oil tankers and installations represent a serious threat to energy security and regional and international peace and security.” Bahrain, he said, is following with great interest all the efforts to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, stressing the need for full compliance with United Nations resolutions, which prohibit all activities that would exacerbate tensions in the region.

The ministry further called on strengthening the Arab- Japanese cooperation to confront the pandemic and mitigate its economic, health and social impacts, and prepare for the post-pandemic phase.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Regional and GCC Affairs, Ambassador Waheed Mubarak Sayyar, Ambassador of Bahrain to Japan, Ahmed Mohammed Al Dossari, Ambassador of Bahrain to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Hisham Al Jowder, Director of Arab Affairs, Ambassador Abdulaziz Muhammad Abdullah Al-Eid, Director of the Department of Afro-Asian Affairs, Ambassador Mona Abbas Mahmoud Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani during the virtual dialogue Radhi were present.