Abu Dhabi, October 30: Israel should immediately stop settlements, vacate all Palestinian territory under its occupation since the 2000 Al Aqsa Intifada and “be ready to do whatever it takes for an independent, viable, sovereign and democratic Palestinian state” to be established, the NATO chief said in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, received NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at Zabeel Palace on Thursday. The NATO Secretary-General briefed Shaikh Mohammed on the NATO-UAE conference held in Abu Dhabi. UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan was present.—Wam
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the new Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), was delivering the keynote address at the International Conference on NATO-UAE Relations and the Way Forward in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, hosted by the UAE foreign ministry at the Emirates Palace Hotel.
Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, in his opening address, highlighted the fact that the Gulf region “is facing complex threats and challenges that cannot be settled without a comprehensive and continuous international cooperation.
Shaikh Abdullah said, “The Gulf region is of great strategic importance, not only as a major source of economy and energy in the world, but also geopolitical and security considerations, which require common regional and international cooperation.”
“The world has changed,” the minister said. “It is important to take advantage of the international atmosphere of openness to create a broader base for dialogue and to find solutions to the problems. As a result of these global changes, it is necessary to find a more comprehensive concept of security in the region.
Rasmussen also said that the Gulf states face the same “risks and threats” as the NATO nations, including “extremism, terrorism and trans-national crime and, the most dangerous, terrorists getting their hands on dangerous weapons”.
Regarding the entangled Arab-Israeli problem in the Middle East, he said clearly, the most pragmatic solution would be “a two state solution”.
Israel, he said, should vacate all occupied areas and help normalise the situation. The Palestinian leadership (in turn) must issue a clear statement recognising Israel’s right to exist in peace and security.
He added that they should also undertake to reform their civil institutions and security structures.”
He underlined the fact that “the two parties (Arab-Israelis) must conclude an agreement, end the occupation which started in 1967, have a just and fair settlement of the refugees issue, and negotiate a solution to the status of Jerusalem – taking into account the political and religious concerns of both parties.”
Also, Rasmussen said, “If these conditions are met we can realise a lasting peace in this region based on two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security, and this could pave the way for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace settlement.”
Talking about the crucial Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), he appreciated the role of UAE and said that it had “greatly contributed” in NATO efforts in Afghanistan. Also, NATO is now ready to “undertake a new initiative in the broader Middle East region and in future contribution towards long-term global and regional security and stability.
“We share a common interest,” he added, “in helping countries like Afghanistan and Iraq to stand on their feet again … and preventing countries like Somalia and Sudan from slipping deeper into chaos.”
The conference was attended by a number of dignitaries including Abdurrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab Gulf States, and high-ranking officials from 28 NATO-affiliated nations.
–Agencies