Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani with Their Excellencies Foreign Ministers of GCC countries during the meeting of 158th Session of the Preparatory Ministerial Council for the 44th Session of GCC Supreme Council in Doha, yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has said that Qatar will continue its efforts with other countries to resume truce and reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza Strip.
The Prime Minister chaired the Preparatory Meeting of 158th Session of the Ministerial Council for the 44th Session of GCC Supreme Council which was held yesterday in Doha.
In his opening speech, he said: “This preparatory ministerial session has many agenda of joint cooperation among the GCC countries, which we seek to accomplish and have the honour to submit to the 44th Session of GCC Supreme Council.”
The Prime Minister said that this is in order to enhance cooperation among GCC countries in accordance with the directives of Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the GCC countries to achieve the interests and hopes of our peoples and countries and to enhance security and stability for our region and the world.
“Our meeting is being held at a time when we have witnessed with great sorrow the barbaric aggression and heinous crimes committed by the forces of the Israeli occupation authority against our Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip, by targeting civilians and infrastructure, and cutting off basic and vital services, in addition to the attempts to place the besieged Palestinian people between the hammer and anvil of genocide, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, all of which are war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Prime Minister added.
Once again, he said, Qatar strongly condemns the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces, and demands an immediate, comprehensive and impartial international investigation into these crimes, especially the attacks that targeted civilian, relief and humanitarian facilities, and to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable and do not escape punishment.
“Qatar has made great efforts to mediate in order to stop this war of revenge, and thanks to God, the joint Qatari mediation efforts with Egypt and the US, between Israel and the Hamas movement, succeeded in reaching a humanitarian truce agreement in Gaza Strip, and the exchange of women and children prisoners between the sides, and the truce allowed the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and aid.”
He noted that Qatar will continue its efforts with all other countries for a permanent ceasefire.
The Prime Minister also praised the extensive tours and meetings undertaken by the foreign ministers of a number of sisterly Arab and Islamic countries - members of the ministerial committee assigned by the Riyadh summit - and their heading to the Security Council to demand that it assume its responsibilities towards stopping the war in Gaza, and forcing Israel to return to credible negotiations to achieve a just solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with the resolutions of legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative through the two-state solution.
He said that the two-state which is accepted by the Palestinians and Arabs and agreed upon by the international community, which requires ending the occupation and establishing the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that GCC is characterised by strategic importance and a distinguished position at the regional and international levels.
“We are all keen to strengthen this position by advancing cooperation, coordination and partnership to exemplary levels, especially in our current era of common challenges and opportunities,” he added.
He said that GCC countries spare no effort in effective participation to address global and regional challenges such as Qatar’s hosting of the Expo 2023 Doha. The Prime Minister said that this comes within the framework of contributing to the efforts aimed at preserving the environment, which constitutes a qualitative addition to the various initiatives adopted by Qatar to achieve a balance between developmental needs and the protection of its natural resources in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Speaking at the same event, Secretary General of GCC H E Jassem Mohamed Al Budaiwi said that the agenda of Preparatory Meeting of 158th Session of the Ministerial Council for the 44th Session of GCC Supreme Council listed several issues related to GCC countries and those related to the region and international community.
He said that these issues are needed the approval of Their Excellencies the Ministers to submit to the Supreme Council of GCC countries.
