The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary-General of the United Nations stress the necessity of ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories

Foreign Minister receives UN Secretary General

Published On: 15 May 2024

Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi welcomed United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and his accompanying delegation, who are on an official visit to the Sultanate of Oman.

The meeting reaffirmed the cooperative relations between Oman and the various UN agencies. The Foreign Minister and the Secretary General praised current fruitful partnerships and initiatives, including humanitarian and environmental initiatives and projects promoting sustainable development. They also stressed the value of efforts to achieve peace and stability and to uphold the values of justice and the international order based on the UN Charter and international law.

The meeting addressed the current severe challenges facing the world, including the dire situation in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories under the continuing illegitimate Israeli occupation and their practices of random killing and destruction, which violate international conventions and humanitarian norms and exacerbate human suffering.

The Minister emphasised the need to hold Israel accountable for these practices and the necessity of an immediate ceasefire, lifting the blockade and allowing the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid. He stated that the international community, especially the Security Council, bears a significant and central responsibility in this regard.

For his part, the Secretary General praised Oman's tangible role in supporting peace and stability efforts and in facilitating dialogue and regional and international understanding.

Both parties agreed that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through the establishment of a two-state solution, ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and establishing an independent Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy embodied by relevant Security Council resolutions.

Foreign Minister and UN Secretary General

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Political Affairs; Khaled Mohammed Khiari, Assistant Secretary General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Department of Political Affairs, Peacebuilding, and Peace Operations and a number of Omani and UN officials.

This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.