The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, along with the leaders of Arab countries, attended the opening session of the 30th Summit of the Council of the Arab League in Tunis on Sunday.
The session was attended by members of the official delegation accompanying HH the Amir, and heads of delegations participating in the Summit.
A number of leaders from regional and international organisations also attended the Arab League meeting.
After attending the opening session, the Amir left Tunis. The Amir and the accompanying delegation were seen off upon departure at Tunis-Carthage International Airport by Adviser to the President of Tunisia Habib Essid.
The Amir sent a cable to Tunisia President Beji Caid Essebsi, expressing thanks and appreciation for the hospitality and honour accorded to him and the accompanying delegation during the visit to attend the 30th Summit of the Council of the Arab League.
The Amir hoped that the outcome of the summit would contribute to supporting and promoting joint Arab action for the benefit of the Arab people. He wished the Tunis president health and happiness and further progress and prosperity to the Tunisian people.
At the summit, Arab leaders renewed their call for the establishment of a Palestinian state and condemned the move by the US to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.
In his speech the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi stressed the need to promote Arab joint action and achieve Arab reconciliation based on mutual trust.
He said Arab countries have no choice but to cooperate and enhance confidence and cooperation.
The Tunisian President also stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, stating that achieving this goal calls for intensifying and coordinating actions in order to put an end to the decisions and actions aimed to change the basic issues at the heart of the Palestinian cause.
The Amir of Kuwait HH Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah said, “The Arab world remains determined to overcome all challenges thrust upon the region, and called for unity and concerted response across the board in the face of such adversity.”
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Kuwaiti Amir said it continues to be the Arab world’s “chief concern,” even as the issue has been largely overlooked by the international community.
The Kuwait Amir expressed regret and disapproval of US recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan.
Jordanian King Abdullah reaffirmed that the Palestinian cause has been and will always remain the foremost concern for all Arabs. “The Palestinian cause must remain Arabs’ core and primary cause,” King Abdullah said.
He said, “As for the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, our position remains that the Golan is occupied Syrian territory, according to international law and UN resolutions.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that any solution to the Syrian crisis must ensure the territorial integrity of Syria, including the occupied Golan Heights.
Guterres stressed on the need to work together to achieve peace, resolve the outstanding problems and respond to the needs of the Syrian people.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reiterated that the European Union was against the US decision to recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
“Ignoring UN Security Council Resolutions on the Golan Heights is not a solution and let me be very clear, the EU will continue to not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the territories occupied since 1967,” Mogherini said.
Mogherini also said a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine was “the only viable and realistic solution”. “We have a responsibility to prevent the two state solution from being irreversibly dismantled,” she said.
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