The Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers on Thursday strongly condemned the hostile statements made by Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah against the Kingdom of Bahrain, on January 9.
Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan led the UAE delegation to the extraordinary meeting which was held at the Arab League's Secretariat General, in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
In its final communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the Council holds the Lebanese government fully responsible for these statements and demands it to issue a clear statement on these hostile statements, considering Nasrallah's remarks as an explicit incitement to violence and terrorism and aim to destabilize the security and stability of Bahrain and other GCC countries.
The Council said the remarks represent a blatant and unacceptable interference in Bahrain's internal affairs and an encroachment on the independence and sovereignty of an Arab League member state.
The Council demanded the Lebanese government to take necessary and deterrent measures to ensure such defamatory statements will not be recurred.
The Council explained that these demands were stipulated by the Arab League Charter and Arab and international norms and principles of good neighbourliness, non-interference into other states' internal affairs, and respect for sovereignty and independence of states.
Lebanon's delegate rejected the Arab League's statement and asked for more time to consult with his government so as to tackle the issue and preserve the calm in inter-Arab relations.
On terrorism, the Council reiterated its unequivocal denunciation of Daesh (ISIL), Nusra Front, Al Qaeda's affiliates and other terrorist organisations and groups, which kill innocent civilians, destroy religious and archaeological sites, disrupt stability and peace and undermine state institutions.
The Council emphasised on its resolution on safeguarding Arab security and combating terrorism that terrorism and terrorist acts committed by these terrorist organisations should not be, in any way, linked with a specific religion, nationality or culture.
The Council expressed its full solidarity with Arab countries threatened by terrorism, particularly peoples in Syria, Iraq and Libya, and its strong support for them to defeat terrorism and its destructive plot.
The Council voiced its grave concern at the escalating violence and armed acts in Libya, stressing that political solution is the only way out of the crisis through an inclusive national reconciliatory dialogue between all involved parties.
The Council welcomed the new round of United Nations-led political talks aimed at easing the deepening political and security crisis afflicting Libya, and urged the participating parties to show flexible and positive spirit so as to reach a common ground and achieved the aspired results that contribute to restoration of security and stability.
The Council also expressed its support for the legitimate state institutions and rebuilding of the security and military agencies, demanding the UN Security Council to lift the embargo on arming the national Libyan army.
On the Palestinian Cause, the Council re-emphasised its support for the Arab Peace Initiative as the optimum solution to realise peace and end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
It also assigned some Arab countries including Jordan, being the current Arab member in the UN Security Council, to conduct contacts and consultations with regional and international actors to rally support for lodging a new draft resolution with the UNSC to end Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Source: WAM