Al-Miqdad delivers speech at Arab-Japanese political meeting held in Cairo

CAIRO, Sep.5, (ST)- With the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal Al-Miqdad, the 3rd ministerial meeting of the Arab-Japanese political dialogue was held in Cairo today at the headquarters of the League of Arab States.

Al-Miqdad stressed in his speech that the meeting is a valuable opportunity to develop the Arab-Japanese cooperation, referring to Syria’s appreciation for Japan, which maintained its diplomatic presence in it, and fulfilled its moral and humanitarian obligations to help the Syrian people who face the starvation attempts pursued by well-known countries.

He underlined that the confrontation of the current crises requires sincere international cooperation and solidarity that respects the rules of international law and the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter that affirm the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of states, and non-interference in their internal affairs, without discrimination and away from double standards.

“ In Syria, the various forms of terrorism constitute a source of serious danger whose elimination requires stopping external support for it, supporting our efforts to combat it, ending any illegal foreign military presence on Syrian territory, considering it an occupation that obstructs the return of state authority over its entire territory and provides cover and sponsorship for terrorist organizations and the separatist militias that threaten the security and stability of Syria, its unity and territorial integrity, and the plunder of its national resources,” Al-Miqdad said.

He added that the insistence on imposing and expanding unilateral coercive measures, which amount to an economic siege of the Syrian people, is an immoral act that violates the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter, and contributes to worsening living and humanitarian conditions and obstructing efforts to provide favorable conditions for the return of our displaced citizens inside and outside Syria to their homeland and areas of origin.

“ Over the past years of the crisis, Syria cooperated closely with the humanitarian agencies of the United Nations, and with other international organizations within the framework of the humanitarian response, and provided wide facilities for their activities, and we are currently focusing on early recovery activities and projects..In this context, we highly appreciate the funding provided by Japan to the humanitarian response plans in Syria, especially during the earthquake disaster it was exposed to, and we look forward to expanding its support for early recovery projects and the rehabilitation of infrastructure and service institutions, which constitutes an essential gateway to overcome the crisis and encourage the return of refugees,” the minister said.

At the regional level, Al-Miqdad affirmed that the Israeli occupation of the occupied Arab territories remains the main factor that threatens security and stability in the Middle East. “ Achieving a just and comprehensive peace requires ending the Israeli occupation and its withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and from the occupied Syrian Golan to the line June 4, 1967, and from the occupied Lebanese territories, the establishment of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and resolving the Palestinian refugee issue in accordance with Resolution No.194.

He stressed that ensuring the effectiveness of the non-proliferation system established by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty requires achieving the universality of the treaty away from selectivity and double standards…. Turning a blind eye to Israel’s possession of weapons of mass destruction and its refusal to subject its nuclear facilities to the IAEA’s comprehensive safeguards system, and its obstruction to the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, is a real threat to peace and security in the region and the world and to the nuclear non-proliferation system.

Al-Miqdad said at the end of his speech: I would like to appreciate the efforts made to reach consensus on the joint political declaration, which showed common visions on many international issues and different approaches on other international issues and developments.

The participating Arab foreign ministers and the heads of delegations and the Japanese foreign minister delivered speeches that emphasized the importance of this meeting in terms of developing bilateral cooperation between Arab countries and Japan, and enhancing political cooperation and other areas of common interest.

They stressed that the Palestinian cause is the central cause of the Arabs, calling for the realization of the aspirations of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, the implementation of relevant international resolutions, and the condemnation of Israeli settlements in the occupied Arab lands.

Basma Qaddour