file pjoto: Egypt s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry participates in the meeting of the 157th regular session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level. Egyptian foreign ministry
Shoukry's remarks came as he addressed the 159th regular session of the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers at the Arab League HQ in Cairo on Wednesday.
He called for developing a common vision to better deal with challenges facing Arabs on the global level, citing the Ukrainian crisis, nuclear armament and climate change.
Shoukry said that developing such a vision requires first having a joint Arab vision for collective Arab national security.
At the core of collective Arab national security, he said, is the preservation of the national state and the total rejection of any interference in its domestic affairs or any infringement of its sovereignty.
According to Shoukry, facing terrorism and powers that seek to spread chaos during conflicts , as well as showing firmness in confronting sectarian, ethnic and racial divisions are also crucial for collective Arab national security.
The Egyptian foreign minister reasserted Cairo’s long-standing position to support peace on the basis of the two-state solution whereby a Palestinian state will be established on the borders of 4 June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Shoukry also reasserted Egypt’s condemnation of Israeli practices, especially the expansion of settlements and the storming of holy sites and Palestinian cities, describing them as damaging the prospects for peace and escalating the situation in occupied Palestine.
“We will keep contacting all regional and international parties to support the peace course and rights of the Palestinian people,” Shoukry told his Arab counterparts.
Syria, Libya and Yemen
Shoukry also extended condolences to Turkey and Syria over the devastating quake that hit the two countries in February.
The top Egyptian diplomat asserted Egypt’s keenness to settle the crisis in Syria as soon as possible in line with relevant international resolutions.
He also asserted that Egypt is keen on maintaining the unity of the Syrian state and on supporting its institutions as well as eliminating terrorism and ending foreign interference in Syria.
Moving on to Libya, Shourky said that the endorsement of the 13 constitutional amendments paves the way for presidential and parliamentary elections there.
Egypt, he said, fully supports a Libyan-Libyan solution that should be reached without any outside dictates.
Shoukry added that any attempts to create new mechanisms are only meant to confuse the situation in order to maintain the status quo in Libya.
He stressed the need for all foreign troops, fighters and mercenaries to withdraw from the Arab country within a defined period of time.
Shoukry called on all Arab countries to support the Libyan people and the Libyan institutions.
The foreign minister also welcomed the UN sponsored truce in Yemen in April of last year.
Flights between Cairo and Sanaa re-operated in support of that truce, he said.
Shoukry regretted, however, that the truce has not been renewed.
He called for reviving the truce for Yemenis to be able to reach a comprehensive solution to their crisis as soon as possible.
Speaking of climate change, Shoukry said that Arab countries are among the most harmed by climate change
He urged his counterparts to act to join initiatives launched by Egypt during its presidency of the international climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh last year.
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