Arab Leaders Call for Handling Arab Issues More Effectively

Arab leaders called during their speeches in the first working session of the Arab League Council's 28th regular summit, which was held Wednesday in the Dead Sea area in Jordan, for handling crises that face the Arab world in a more effective manner.
They called for a settlement for the Palestinian issue according to the Arab Peace Initiative and based on the two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. They also demanded a political solution for the Syrian crisis in a way that preserves Syria's territorial unity and achieves the ambitions and aspirations of the Syrian people.
They stressed the need to preserve the unity of Yemen as well as its safety and stability, and the importance of reaching a political solutions that ends the conflict in line with the Gulf initiative, its executive mechanism and the outputs of the national dialogue and Security Council Resolution 2216.
In his speech, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said the ongoing serious events in the region must not distract the Arab world from "our emphasis on the Palestinian cause which is central to our nation and seeking for finding a solution for it based on the resolutions of the international legitimacy and Arab Peace Initiative." "The brotherly Syrian people are still being exposed to killing and displacement which requires finding a political solution to end this tragedy and preserve the unity of Syria and its institutions in accordance with Geneva Declaration 1 and United Nations Security Council resolution 2254.
"On the Yemeni affair, we emphasize the importance of preserving Yemen's unity and achieving its security and stability as well as the importance of the political solution to the Yemeni crisis according to the Gulf initiative, its executive mechanism, the results of the Yemeni national dialogue and Security Council resolution 2216. We also call for facilitating humanitarian access to various Yemeni regions.
"With regard to Libya, we believe that brothers in Libya should work to preserve Libya's security, stability and unity of its territories, renounce violence, fight terrorism, and achieve a political solution to end this crisis."Among the most serious threats confronting our Arab nation are extremism and terrorism which emphasizes the necessity for unifying efforts to combat them by all means. 
"Interventions in the internal affairs of the Arab States represent a clear violation of the rules of the international law, the sovereignty of States and the principles of good neighborliness."The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to the issues of development and economic cooperation among Arab countries; and it is important to activate all decisions aiming at developing and strengthening the joint Arab action in the economic field. 
"The Arab League's restructuring, reforming and developing have become a necessary issue that should quickly be achieved," the Saudi monarch said. For his part, Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said the world is suffering "crises, catastrophes and internecine wars" that have cast shadow on the humanitarian conditions of several peoples, both on the regional and international scenes, Kuwait's official news agency KUNA reported. 
He added that Kuwait has been working with the international community to lessen the suffering of these peoples and will continue fulfilling its humanitarian responsibilities. Meanwhile, the Emir indicated that the world's inaction towards the crisis in Syria would not lead to fruitful results for the Syrian people. 
The international community needs a strong resolve to bring upon a political resolution to the crisis, said the Kuwaiti leader who took the chance to laud efforts by the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the latter's Special Envoy to Syria, Steffan De Mistura, as well as former leader of the U.N. Ban Ki-Moon for their efforts in this regard. 
The Emir of Kuwait also touched on the Yemeni issue, saying that Kuwait was deeply saddened by the situation in the fellow Arab country, calling on Yemenis to heed the calls by the international community and the Arab world to put an end to the crisis at home. He also addressed the situation in Iraq, Libya, and Somalia, saying that the plight, affecting people in the respective Arab countries required a truthful effort by Arabs to bring security and stability to these regions.
Addressing the summit, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi said the meeting is taking place amid great challenges facing the entire region and threatens the unity and cohesion of the Arab countries and their territorial integrity, Jordanian state news agency Petra reported. He added that these threats, especially terrorism, have weakened the Arabs and "we must confront them with a clear vision and determination, in order to strengthen our national security and preserve the future of our generations. 
"Confronting terrorism is not easy. It is like a malignant disease that infiltrates the fabric of countries and societies, therefore, confrontation should be comprehensive, starting from military decision and continuing to improve the economies and living conditions in our countries," he said. The Egyptian president stressed that a political solution to the Syrian crisis is the only way to achieve aspirations of the Syrian people, restore the unity and territorial integrity of the Arab country, preserve its national institutions and eliminate terrorism and extremist organizations. 
Egypt seeks to reach a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue through establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, el Sisi said. He also reiterated Egypt's support for Iraq in its war on terrorism and stressed his country's backing for Yemen and its legitimate institutions as well as ensuring freedom of navigation in Mandeb Strait. 
For his part, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised Jordan's role, which has always been supportive of the Palestinian cause. "There have been many developments in our region and the world since the summit of Nouakchott, he said, noting that the Palestinian issue remains the national issue of our Arab nation," Abbas said according to Petra. "If Israel wants to be a partner for peace in the region, it must give up the idea that security comes through seizing more land. Israel should end its occupation of the Palestinian territories and stop depriving the Palestinian people of their rights and freedom," the Palestinian president said. 
President Abbas warned Israel against turning the conflict from a political conflict into a sectarian one as this poses a threat to the entire region.
 Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime minister Haider al-Abadi said that terrorism threatens all Arab states as security and unity can't be divided, stressing that defeating terrorism is important in every Arab state that faces it. Al-Abadi stressed the need to enhance Arab League's role in various fields of cooperation, namely, political and economic spheres. He said that stability should be considered as a strategic goal, and concentrate on issues which serve Arab interests away from conflicts and polarizations, in order to build a better future for Arab nations. 
Relations with other states, the Iraqi prime minister said, should be built on respect for sovereignty, confidence and cooperation, calling for a united Arab position towards any violation of these principles. 
Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi, in his speech, said the Arab region is still facing instability due to the continued conflicts and the growing threats which deplete its resources, Jordanian news agency Petra reported. On Palestine, Essebsi pointed to the centrality of the Palestinian cause and its impact on conditions in the Middle East region and the whole globe. He called for coordination to ensure the success of efforts and initiatives that aim at resuming the peace process based on international legitimacy and the two-state solution.As for Libya, Essebsi expressed Tunisia's keenness to help Libyans to overcome their differences through dialogue and consensus, in order to safeguard Libya's unity and sovereignty. 
Essebsi voiced regret over the absence of an influential Arab role to reach a political solution in Syria, reiterating the need to a political dialogue under the auspices of the U.N. to put an end to this protracted crisis. On Yemen, he said that the deteriorating situation there is a source of concern for all Arabs, calling on all Yemeni parties to delve into dialogue to restore stability and security in the country. 
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir voiced hope that progress will be achieved in all issues, mainly the Palestinian cause as well as Jerusalem. 
He stressed the importance of boosting joint Arab action in the political, economic and military fields, as well as holding an Arab cultural summit to fight terrorism, achieve development and combat hunger in Somali. "The Arab summit should send a strong message to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and solve the Palestinian issue in accordance with the state-state solution," he added. 
The Sudanese president stressed the importance of supporting Yemen and Libya as well as stability in the two countries far from military solutions and foreign interference in the two countries.  He also called for a political solution in Syrian that ends bloodshed and for supporting Iraq in facing terrorism. Lebanese President Michel Aoun said all Arab countries are concerned about solving the crises facing the region instead of "waiting for solutions from outside," Petra reported. 
He said that the statements of denunciation and condemnation are no longer enough, adding that the Arab League should regain its role to end bloodshed as well as crises in a number of countries. The Arab League, Aoun said, has a role to protect the Arab nation in order to face challenges, calling for supporting his country to cope with the repercussions resulting from hosting the refugees. 
Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh stressed the importance of working to find solutions to challenges by adopting a practical way to address all the problems, threats and risks facing Arab national security.  He said that the Palestinian issue is still at the top of our issues, stressing renewed efforts to move forward and support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli aggression. Guelleh spoke about Syria and said the only solution to the crisis there is the political solution that achieves the aspirations of the Syrian people. He also affirmed support to the Government of National Accord in Libya and Libyan parties in rebuilding their country in order to meet the people's aspirations. 
For his part, Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya, Fayez al-Sarraj, said the Arab nation is passing through dangerous and important political developments. He urged Arab countries to stand by his country to arrive at a political solution to the crisis in line with the initiative presented by neighboring countries, noting that Libya is keen to combat terrorism and extremism. 
Al-Sarraj added that Libya looks forward to resolutions that will be issued by the Arab summit to reach a solution to the crisis in the country.  
Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi said that Yemen faced an attempt to topple the legitimate regime and target the transitional political process that was suggested by the Gulf initiative. He stressed the importance of solving the crisis in his country in accordance with the international law. 
The Yemeni president thanked the Arab coalition for their support to the Yemeni people and government, adding that his country is in need of major support to address economic and security challenges that face it. Hadi called for activating the Arab agreement to combat terrorism, as Yemen is one of the countries that face terrorism and terrorist organization.
In his speech before the Arab summit, Comoros President Azali Assoumani, highlighted said that challenges facing the Arab nation require unifying Arab ranks to reach solutions to crises, Jordanian news agency Petra reported. 
He called for supporting the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate demands and establish their independent state, which enjoys security and peace. 
Assoumani reiterated his appreciation for Arab states for supporting his country.
In turn, Algerian parliament speaker Abdul Qadir bin Saleh, the representative of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, said that terrorism is targeting all regions across the world without exception, stressing the need for coordination and cooperation with the international community to face terrorism and dry up terrorists' resources of funds.  Bin Saleh called for solutions that enable peoples to shape their future and achieve their legitimate aspirations.  He also reiterated support to the Palestinians in their quest to regain their legitimate rights, top of which is the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Bin Saleh also called for political solutions to the crises in Syria, Yemen and Libya.
For his part, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said the summit stresses the Arab will to support "our brethren who face challenges and threats to their security or suffer from interference in their domestic affairs which prevents them from enjoying their full stability," Bahrain's official news agency BNA reported. 
King Hamad affirmed that the attacks by terrorist organizations top threats and challenges to the integrity and safety of Arab societies, as well as the lives of their members, which requires more serious work to continue confronting those organizations and eliminating them through drying up their resources and stopping the proliferation of their extremist ideology.  "This is the best way to overcome the tendentious attempts by some countries and parties which seek to undermine our national security, harm the interests of our Nation, as well as to undermine the sovereignty of our countries and impede their progress march," the King added, according to BNA. 
Referring to the situation in Syria, the Bahraini king said it requires the international community to step up its efforts in order to reach "a solution that would be accepted by all the Syrian citizens to preserve Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, prevent foreign interference into its affairs, restore security and stability to the country so as to rise up again, with the participation of all its citizens." On Yemen, King Hamad asserted that "Yemen's unity, restoration of its security and stability and preventing external interference into its affairs top the priorities of the Arab Coalition," adding that "the commitment of all parties and political powers to placing the top interests of Yemen above all others, and the respect for its legitimacy" are essential prerequisites for any comprehensive and fair political solution.
 As for Iraq, the king said that he was looking forward to doing all that is necessary so that Iraq could restore its stability and protect its affairs from external interference, in order to regain its strategic role in defending Arab causes and interests. Concerning Libya, The Bahraini king reiterated his country's backing for all efforts to strengthen Libya's unity, integrity, stability and national institutions, away from any external intervention. 

Source: QNA