On behalf of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State, represented the UAE at a Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the US.
The meeting was hosted by Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, Foreign Minister of Bahrain, which holds the rotating presidency of the GCC. The US was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
During the meeting, participants discussed current developments in the region, including Iran’s hostile attacks on GCC member states and its illegal closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and welcomed the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding as the first step towards regional de-escalation.
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The meeting highlighted the enduring US commitment to GCC security, the US-GCC Strategic Partnership, and the path forward for regional stability.
Nusseibeh also underlined the critical importance of close consultation between the US and Gulf partners and welcomed continued consultation with the US. She said, ‘Gulf consultation, inclusion and participation are necessary conditions in the coming period. Our countries have lived with the consequences of Iran’s hostile attacks. Any solution designed to deliver lasting security will be strongest when it reflects the perspectives of those whose security is most immediately affected.”
Nusseibeh stressed the importance of upholding international law, protecting freedom of navigation, and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, secure and free from economic coercion. She said any actions that threaten maritime security or disrupt global trade amount to piracy and pose a direct risk to regional stability, the well-being of people in the region, and global energy security.
She also said the international community should not allow Iran to benefit from what she described as its illegal activities in the Strait.
On Lebanon, she underscored the need to support the Lebanese government, the Lebanese Armed Forces and the people of Lebanon in achieving security, stability and development.
Furthermore, the minister of state highlighted the importance of supporting Syria’s inclusive political transition and mobilising international institutions and the private sector in support of Syria’s reconstruction and expressed the UAE’s solidarity with the Syrian people and support for all endeavours aimed at fulfilling their aspirations for peaceful coexistence and development.
On the Occupied Palestinian Territory, she emphasised the need to fully implement Security Council resolution 2803 and support the Board of Peace in Gaza, reiterating the UAE’s consistent position on the need to establish a credible political horizon toward resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution that achieves the aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish an independent sovereign Palestinian state.
Source: Khaleej Times