Fahmy, Guterres Discuss Regional Escalation on Sidelines of UN General Assembly
Amr Yehia
The dangerous escalation witnessed in the region topped the talks held by Nabil Fahmy, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, on Sunday, with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, at the outset of Fahmy's participation in the high-level segment of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Arab League chief reviewed the repercussions of this escalation on the security and stability of the Arab region, and on international navigation, energy security and global trade. Fahmy affirmed the Arab League's solidarity with its member states in safeguarding their security, sovereignty and the safety of their vital installations, stressing that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea is a firm principle in international law that must not be compromised under any pretext. The two sides agreed that containing the escalation requires serious international action that addresses its root causes and does not merely manage its effects.
The meeting also addressed the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, foremost the humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip and the escalating Israeli violations in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem. The Secretary-General stressed the need to compel Israel to comply with international law and international humanitarian law, and that the broad international recognition of the State of Palestine necessitates a move to practical steps leading to ending the occupation and embodying an independent State on the 4 June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. He affirmed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and that any arrangements that separate it from the West Bank are rejected.
Both sides also reviewed developments in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Libya, as well as the grave situation in Sudan, which threatens further humanitarian deterioration. The two parties renewed their call for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of safe corridors for aid delivery to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and halt the worsening humanitarian crisis.
The two sides also praised the solid partnership between the United Nations and the Arab League, considering it a model to be emulated in cooperation between international and regional organizations. They stressed the importance of continuing effective coordination between the two organizations on various regional and international files, in a way that contributes to achieving peace and stability in the Arab region and the world.
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