Egyptian, Iranian Foreign Ministers Discuss Bilateral Relations in New York
The Palestinian president called on the UN General Assembly to take the necessary measures to convene a peace conference, which could be “the last chance to save the two-state solution”.
Abbas said Thursday the need to “prevent a more serious deterioration of the situation, threatening the security and stability of our region and the entire world.”
Speaking at the 78th session of the General Assembly, Abbas said Israel is systematically destroying the two-state solution, calling on the UN to take deterrent measures against Israel until it fulfills its obligations.
He indicated that Palestine will continue to seek responsibility and justice in the relevant international bodies against Tel Aviv due to the continued Israeli occupation of the land and against anyone who has a role in the disaster.
– Commemorating the Nakba
Abbas also called for the denial of the Palestinian Nakba to be criminalized and for May 15 each year to be designated as an international day to commemorate its anniversary and the lives of the approximately 950,000 Palestinians who were killed in massacres carried out by Zionist gangs and whose villages were were destroyed and who were forcibly evicted from their homes.
Abbas called on UN member states, each in their national capacity, to take practical steps based on relevant resolutions of international legitimacy and international law.
He also called on the countries that have not yet recognized Palestine to declare their recognition and for Palestine to be accepted as a full member of the United Nations.
– Yemen Warning
The leadership council of the president of Yemen, Rashad al-Alimi, warned against any complacency on the part of the international community or treating the Houthi militia as de facto authorities, which would lead to the eradication of this behavior.
He stressed that such an approach would perpetuate repression and the violation of public freedoms.
“We reaffirm the need to have the right guarantees for peace … in line with the Saudi initiative” based on justice and fairness, he continued.
Any peace agreement or confidence-building measures must be aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people.
– Lebanese Challenges
The work of the General Assembly continued until late on Wednesday evening, during which the Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati delivered his speech.
Mikati looked forward to the Lebanese parliament exercising its sovereign rule by electing a president in the coming period, a head of state around whom the Lebanese would rally and who would cement the return of the republic.
He highlighted Lebanon’s unique cross-border challenges with neighboring Syria, criticizing the international community’s inability to find sustainable solutions to Syrian refugee displacement.
The Prime Minister argued that one of the main challenges facing Lebanon is filling the presidential void, along with introducing reforms necessary to achieve economic recovery, alleviate the financial crisis and promote institutional and political stability in the country.
“Twelve years after the Syrian crisis, Lebanon still bears the burden of successive waves of displacement with far-reaching economic and social consequences on all aspects of life, thus threatening Lebanon’s very existence,” he said.
Mikati also issued renewed criticism of Israel’s continued occupation of southern Lebanon, daily violations of Lebanese sovereignty and violation of Security Council Resolution 1701.
– Iran’s nuclear program
Meanwhile, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told reporters in New York that relations with the US could progress if President Joe Biden’s administration showed a willingness to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Raizi believes that the first step will be to ease the sanctions.
The president said U.S. officials have reached out through several channels expressing their desire for dialogue, but Iran believes tangible action must back it up.
Iran’s nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only and is used in agriculture and oil and gas infrastructure, he assured, denying reports that Iran has increased enrichment levels.
Asked about IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, Raisi confirmed that they had spoken in Tehran earlier in March, stressing that his country was cooperating with the agency.
He condemned the announcement by European countries (E3) to maintain sanctions against Iran, which were originally scheduled to end in October under the 2015 nuclear deal.
– Illegal migration
Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said she will not allow the country to become “Europe’s refugee camp” after thousands of asylum seekers landed on its shores.
– The Ordeal of Libya
Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) Minister of Youth, Fatallah al-Zeni, also gave a speech on behalf of the head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, who apologized for not attending due to the floods that hit Libya’s eastern regions.
Zeni pointed out that Libyans and the world woke up on Sunday, September 10, to a terrible scene and a major disaster in Derna, where thousands died or went missing.
He stressed that the scale of the disaster was beyond all local capacity.
Comments are closed.