Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani reaffirmed the importance of resolving disputes with peaceful means, vowing to continue efforts aiming to promote peace in the region and worldwide.
"The responsibility also prompts the State of Qatar to strengthen its role in providing humanitarian aid, exerting mediation efforts and resolving conflicts that affect our region," the Qatari Amir said in his speech at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly held in New York on Tuesday.
"The path to resolve conflicts through peaceful means is a long and strenuous path, but it is less costly than wars, and our commitment to continue our efforts in facilitating and making peace is a firm commitment deeply rooted in the core of our foreign policy." He noted that it is the duty of leaders to empower their people with the means to live in peace and security and to look forward to a better future for their posterity.
"There are obstacles at the level of the international community, mainly represented in the failure to subject contradictions and competition between major countries on transient issues to minimum binding principles owing to the variations in governance systems. These issues which concern all of humanity include climate change, environmental matters in general, poverty, and the blatant injustice represented by occupation, racism, and war crimes." On the Palestinian issue, the Qatari Amir said that it is not acceptable for the Palestinian people to remain prisoners of the Israeli settler occupation arbitrariness, and the rejection of any just political solution in accordance with the principles of international legitimacy by successive Israeli governments.
"You have to bear in mind that the failure of the international organization to take actions against the occupation provided and continues to provide the opportunity for Israel to undermine the foundations of the two-state solution by means of settlement expansion until the occupation has brazenly taken the form of an apartheid regime in the broad daylight of the twenty-first century." He pointed out that Israel also responds to Arab peace and normalization initiatives with more nationalist and ultra-orthodox intransigence and extremism that is reflected in government coalitions and further settlement expansion, in addition to the Judaization of Jerusalem, attacks on holy sites, besides using heavy-handed means against those languishing under the occupation, and tightening the noose on the Gaza Strip.
"Qatar provides political, humanitarian and development support to the brotherly Palestinian people and contributes towards rebuilding the Gaza Strip which is reeling under the siege, in addition to its continuous contribution to UNRWA funds," Sheikh Tamim said.
"It also continues its adherence to the firm stance regarding the fairness of this cause, which has become a credibility test for world politicians in relation to the Middle East region." In the case of Syria, he condemned the gross injustice that has befallen the Syrian people.
"The crisis is still awaiting a comprehensive settlement through a political process leading to a political transition, in accordance with the Geneva Declaration-1 and the Security Council Resolution 2254, in a way that meets the Syrian people's aspirations while maintaining Syria's integrity, sovereignty and independence," he asserted.
On the conflict in Sudan, the Qatari Amir said it is regrettable to witness the outbreak of violence in Sudan this year, which has left a dire impact on the brotherly Sudanese people and exacerbated refugee crisis.
"We condemn the crimes perpetrated against civilians in the capital Khartoum and the Darfur region, and we call for holding perpetrators to account. We also call for cessation of fighting, resort to the voice of reason, and spare civilians the consequences of fighting, "We affirm our support for all regional and international efforts to facilitate reaching a ceasefire and hold a dialogue between the Sudanese political forces about the future of Sudan, with only one army charged with protecting rather than ruling the country," he said.
On Yemen, the Amir called for the crisis to be resolved in accordance with the resolutions of the National Dialogue, the Gulf Initiative, and the relevant Security Council resolutions.
He welcomed the recent constructive dialogue and re-establishment of ties between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Turkiye.
Source: Kuwait News Agency