Sayyid Asaad heads Oman's delegation at Arab Summit
Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, His Highness Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Special Representative of His Majesty the Sultan, headed the delegation of the Sultanate of Oman to the 33rd Regular Arab Summit, which was held today in Manama, the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the presence of a number of leaders of states and heads of governments.
His Highness Sayyid Asaad was received upon his arrival to the summit venue by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Sayyid Asaad delivered a speech at the opening of the Arab summit as follows:
“In the name of the Almighty Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”.
“Your Majesty, King Hamad bin Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Chairman of the 33rd session of the Council of League of Arab States.
“Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Your Excellency, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Esteemed Guests, Honorable audience,
“May Peace, Blessings And Mercy of theAlmighty Allah Be Upon You!
“I am honoured to convey to you all the greetings of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman, along with His Majesty’s sincere wishes of success for this blessed gathering. We deeply appreciate the warm reception and hospitality accorded to us. We also value good preparation for this summit under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
“We would also like to voice our appreciation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its constructive efforts in securing the success of the previous Arab Summit, under the prudent leadership of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his Crown Prince His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“This summit is being convened in exceptional circumstances, at a time the Arab nation is in great need for empowerment to ensure its security, safeguard its geopolitical milieu and to secure its status amid challenges and complications that we cannot overcome individually, but only when acting collectively, even at a minimum level of accord, alliance, collaboration and cooperation, based on a shared strategy and economic capabilities, so that this nation could become capable of confronting a world laden with ambitions, aspirations and objectives.
“The historic injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people compels us all to take a stronger, more impactful and a more efficient Arab position that guarantees to the Palestinian people their right to self-determination and their aspiration to a comprehensive global recognition of the Palestinian State. It has to be a stand that applies the highly-desired, long overdue Two-State Solution, in accordance with the United Nations resolution, the Arab Peace Initiative and rules of international law. Without that, our region will never enjoy a lasting peace or sustainable prosperity anticipated by the people of the region and the world at large.
“In the meantime, within the context of our historic and ethical responsibility, we exhort the international community to undertake immediate action in this respect and to engage in serious enforcement of criteria of international law, to uphold and realize justice for the Palestinian people and bring about security and stability for all.
“We would like to affirm the significance of respecting the policy of good neighborliness, the sovereignty of states over their territories and non-interference in their internal affairs, as well as respect for peoples’ rights—notably the right to co-exist in dignity and independence.
“As long as we aspire for justice, we are confident that we will never be let down, God willing.
“We pray to Allah the Almighty to guide us all to what He loves and approves, for He is the best lord and the best supporter.
“Peace be upon you.”
The Arab Summit was opened by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia and Chair of the previous ordinary session of the Arab League Council. In his speech, he affirmed that Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting condemning the Israeli aggression on Gaza under any pretext, calling for an end to the war on the region and any activity affecting maritime safety.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Chair of the 33rd session of the Arab Summit, delivered a speech highlighting the summit's convening amidst highly complex regional and international conditions marked by destructive wars, painful humanitarian tragedies and threats to the identity, security, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Arab nation.
The King of Bahrain emphasised that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state would benefit the entire Arab region, allowing it to overcome its crises and work towards developmental growth in support of all Palestinian brothers. He called for an international peace conference in the Middle East.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League, stated that the Israeli aggression on Gaza highlighted the urgent need to end the occupation immediately. He noted that Israel continues ethnic cleansing in the region through military force and called for an international peace conference embodying the two-state solution.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said that overcoming global challenges requires collective efforts, urging an immediate end to the tragedy in Gaza. He pointed out that the conflict in Gaza is the largest to harm civilians in decades.
Mr Guterres stated that the attack on Rafah is unacceptable in any form and that the war in Sudan is pushing millions towards famine, urging a shift towards a political process.
King Abdullah II of Jordan said that the Arab region is witnessing unprecedented suffering due to the situation in Gaza, and the destruction in the region will have negative impacts on future generations, calling for an immediate end to the war.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi of Egypt asserted that Israel is evading its responsibilities to end the war in Gaza and continues its military operations in Rafah.
President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine pointed out that war crimes and genocide in Gaza have persisted for seven months, resulting in over 120,000 Palestinians killed or injured, and more than 70 percent of the infrastructure destroyed entirely.
The Palestinian President said that the United States has used the veto four times to prevent ending the war in Gaza and to block Palestine's UN membership, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the urgent implementation of the two-state solution.
The Arab Summit discussed numerous issues of concern to Arab states, including the implementation of decisions and commitments made, the Palestinian cause, Arab affairs, national security, instability in several Arab countries and external interventions in Arab affairs. It also discussed international political matters such as the second Arab-Chinese Summit and the establishment of a partnership forum between the Arab League and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Economic, social, media, and legal issues were also reviewed, along with climate change matters, the revised Arab Human Rights Strategy (the first periodic review for 2024), the Joint Arab Media Strategy to Combat Terrorism, the maintenance of Arab national security and the draft resolutions submitted by the Economic and Social Council.
The declaration of the 33rd Arab Summit in Bahrain called for an end to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and lifting the blockade, condemning the Israeli occupation forces' control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.
The declaration also highlighted the Security Council's responsibility to implement the two-state solution and the necessity of resolving the Syrian crisis in a manner that preserves Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Republic of Iraq will host the 34th session of the Arab Summit.
This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.