Arab League adopts Jeddah Declaration, reaffirms the need for unity

Agencies | Riyadh                                                          

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Arab League concluded its 32nd summit with the adoption of the Jeddah Declaration, reaffirming the need for unity to achieve security and stability.

On the Palestinian-Israeli cause, the declaration reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and reiterated Palestine’s right “to absolute authority over all territories occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem.”

It also voiced the importance of “activating the Arab Peace Initiative” which the kingdom proposed and the League endorsed in 2002. Regarding Syria, the bloc welcomed its return to the bloc following years of isolation and voiced hope that this move will contribute “to Syria’s stability and unity.”

“[We] must intensify Arab efforts to help Syria resolve its crisis,” the declaration said. During a press conference at the end of the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the kingdom would hold discussions with its Western partners regarding ties with Syria.

Regarding the situation in Sudan, where fighting has raged between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15, the declaration rejected “foreign interferences that inflame the conflict and threaten regional security and stability,” and urged dialogue and unity among the warring sides.

Prince Faisal, during the press conference, said Riyadh and Washington were continuing to work together to get the warring sides to halt the violence. The top Saudi diplomat called on all sides to immediately stop the fighting and resume dialogue; however, he noted that it was too early to talk about a breakthrough.

For Yemen, the declaration reaffirmed support for all international and regional efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis. For Lebanon, it urged authorities to resume efforts to elect a president, form a cabinet “as soon as possible,” and carry out economic reforms to overcome the current crisis.

The bloc also rejected “foreign interferences” in Arab countries’ internal affairs. “[We] completely reject supporting the formation of armed militias… [and warn] that internal military conflicts will only aggravate people’s suffering,” it said.

The declaration also said that during Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the Arab Summit – which was handed over earlier by Algeria – the Kingdom will strengthen joint Arab action in various cultural, economic, social and environmental sectors.

These initiatives include teaching the Arabic language to non-native speakers, which targets the children of second and third-generation Arab immigrants to enhance communication between Arab countries and the rest of the world.

Another initiative aims to sustain the supply chains of basic food commodities for Arab countries. It will be implemented using several measures, which include providing investment opportunities with economic and financial feasibility and contributing to achieving food security for the Arab world.