Holding the Arab Summit in Bahrain was a landmark event to boost common visions regarding crucial issues, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has affirmed.
In an interview with our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej, he said convening the summit was important for the Arabs to speak unitedly, mainly with the exacerbating crisis in Gaza.
He pointed out that what the Palestinian people are experiencing in Gaza and the West Bank necessitates a strong Arab stance affirming the need for an immediate ceasefire there.
The Egyptian foreign minister also underscored the importance of guaranteeing the delivery of aid, handling the deteriorating humanitarian situation and preventing any internal or external displacement of people in an attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause.
Mr Shoukry commended the great efforts made by Bahrain to ensure success of the summit, pointing out its ability to forge a common vision regarding Gaza and other hot spots in the region.
He said the summit was successful in highlighting the common vision of the Arab leaders concerning joint work to boost security and solidarity and address issues pertaining to education and development.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister pointed out that the Gaza crisis has shown inconsistency in stances by many international partners and double standards in dealing with the Palestinian issue.
“The Gaza crisis is considered the first since the Second World War in which the international community does not come forward to demand a ceasefire. Instead, many people are cautious and refrain from demanding a ceasefire, and this is also a surprising matter,” he said.
“This is being monitored by the Arab countries and the framework of international relations will be reviewed in connection with this. It is also not enough to express verbal positions, as we are accustomed to from some countries, but action is also needed,” he added.
“We cannot speak about the two-state solution as a way out while countries that endorse the idea do not take any practical measures to implement this solution.”
Concerning the Bahraini initiative to host an international conference to solve the Palestinian issue, the Egyptian Foreign Minister praised the proposal as a strategic option for the Arab countries towards peace based on justice and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state.
Arab leaders gathered in Manama on Thursday for the summit, which was chaired by His Majesty King Hamad.
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