A snap shot of Deputy Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament Mohamed Abou El-Enein During his speech before the Union for the Mediterranean . Photo courtesy Abou El-Enein Facebook page.
During a speech before the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Parliamentary Assembly meeting on migration to the Western Mediterranean and the Atlantic, which was held on Wednesday in Spain, Abou El-Enein explained that the Palestinian people would not give up their land or leave it.
He called on the international community to work to end the Israeli occupation and reach a peace agreement between Palestinians and Israelis.
Furthermore, Abou El-Enein noted that the root cause of the conflict in the Middle East is the Israeli occupation.
“If we want to achieve security and peace, we must work to end the Israeli occupation and not for the Palestinian people to leave their land so that the occupation remains in it,” he went on saying.
He added that such a proposal violates international law, values, principles, and human rights and would expand the conflict in the region.
Moreover, the Deputy Speaker pointed out that repeated attempts to displace the Palestinians have failed in the past. Peace, he affirmed, can only be achieved by demonstrating a serious political will to end the Israeli occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 1967 that coexists peacefully with the state of Israel.
Abou El-Enein added that Egypt, as a pioneer of peace in the Middle East, stands ready to work with the new US administration, the European Union, and all international powers to achieve lasting peace, but Israel lacks the political will.
He called on the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean to communicate with the US Congress and parliaments worldwide to mobilize efforts for peace and stability.
He also called for taking advantage of the opportunity represented by the ceasefire agreement and the global interest in the Palestinian cause to take practical measures to reach peace, security and lasting stability for the Palestinians, Israelis, and the world at large.
Furthermore, the Deputy Speaker highlighted that achieving peace in Palestine, stopping the war in Sudan, and restoring stability in Libya, Syria, and Yemen are key to addressing the root causes of displacement and irregular migration. He explained that millions of citizens from these countries were forced to flee their homelands to seek security and stability elsewhere.
To enable their safe return, Abou El-Enein called for supporting these countries’ national institutions, respecting their sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, putting an end to any external pressures or interference in their affairs, and preventing the flow of weapons to militias and armed groups that threaten their stability and unity.
He also called for expanding legal migration pathways and encouraging the transfer of investments to create jobs that encourage young people to stay in their countries, noting that Egypt deals comprehensively with the issue of migration.
According to the Deputy Speaker, Egypt assists young people in building their capacities in line with labour markets at home and abroad to support organized migration pathways. Egypt, he noted, also cooperates with many European countries in this respect and raises awareness of the risks of irregular migration.
Furthermore, Abou El-Enein stressed that shifting from global to regional supply chains constitutes an opportunity to resettle European supply chains in the southern Mediterranean countries.
He called for reviewing existing free trade agreements and adopting new ones linking trade liberalization with promoting foreign direct investment. He also advocated for the free movement of goods and services at borders or beyond borders through a modern Euro-Mediterranean transport network.
Moreover, he called for the establishment of a Euro-Mediterranean financial institution to invest in integration projects and infrastructure and explore trade and investment opportunities.
He also stressed the importance of turning the challenge posited by climate change into an opportunity to encourage more investments in renewable energy, green hydrogen production, and electricity grids.
In addition, Abou El-Enein called for establishing a regional market for green electricity and expanding the Euro-Mediterranean partnership to include other regions, including Africa and the Arabian Gulf region.
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