In a crucial address before the 160th session of the Arab League Council in Cairo, Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mekdad underscored the interconnectedness and indivisibility of Arab national security. He asserted that the myriad challenges confronting Arab nations not only threaten individual states but jeopardize the security of the entire Arab world.
Mekdad highlighted the multifaceted challenges, including foreign interference in domestic affairs, military aggression, the occupation of Arab territories, terrorism, poverty, and deteriorating development indicators. These challenges collectively imperil Arab security, necessitating a unified and concerted effort to combat them.
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During his address, Mekdad also took aim at Western powers, accusing them of attempting to impose their rules on other nations. He asserted that these rules often clash with Arab morals and values.
The minister emphasized the longstanding vulnerability of the Arab region to global trends and the resulting consequences. This vulnerability, he argued, underscores the urgency of bolstering joint Arab action to address pressing concerns and reform the Arab League. The proposed reforms would prioritize dialogue, transparency, mutual respect, and common interests.
Mekdad lauded the Jeddah Summit for its pivotal decisions, fostering Arab-Arab and Arab-regional détente, and reaffirming Syria’s integral role in its Arab context. He deemed this summit as the dawn of a new era for Arab cooperation and regional solidarity.
Preservation of the Jeddah Summit’s achievements, according to Mekdad, is imperative to safeguard Arab national security. He called for genuine collaboration among Arab nations to resolve crises without external interference. Additionally, he stressed the importance of confronting Turkish military interventions in Syria and other Arab nations, which pose a significant threat to Arab national security and broader regional interests.
Mekdad emphasized Syria’s commitment to cooperating with the Arab Liaison Committee while upholding its sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity. Syria also pledges non-interference in its internal affairs, with the goal of harnessing the collective power of the Arab world to help its people recover from the impacts of the terrorist war and address key challenges, such as combating all forms of terrorism and ending illegal foreign military presence on its soil.
However, the minister emphasized that the Israeli attacks pose a grave threat to international peace and security and hinder the prospects for a just and comprehensive peace in the region. To achieve lasting peace, Mekdad called for Israel’s complete withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territory and the Syrian Golan Heights, in accordance with the borders of June 4th, 1967, and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Minister Mekdad’s address underscored the urgent need for Arab unity and joint action to confront shared challenges and secure a peaceful and prosperous future for the region.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
