On October 13, the Council of Arab Ambassadors accredited to Ukraine met with Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa His Excellency Ambassador Maksym Subkh. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine at the request of the Council of Arab Ambassadors. The meeting was held according to the directive of the League of Arab States with the aim of informing the Ukrainian Party of the results of the emergency meeting of the League. The meeting of the League was held in Cairo (Egypt) on October 11, 2023, and was dedicated to discussing ways of political action to stop the Israeli aggression and achieve peace and security, in addition to handing over a copy of the Resolution issued by the meeting. The abovementioned Resolution:
– stressed the necessity of immediate cessation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the escalation in the Strip and its surroundings;
– warned against the catastrophic humanitarian and security repercussions of the continuation and expansion of the escalation;
– emphasized that the means to ensure security and stability in the region is to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that meets the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people; – condemned the killing and targeting of civilians on both sides and all acts that are contrary to international law and international humanitarian law;
– stressed the necessity of protecting civilians and all prisoners and detainees;
– condemned all the aggression and violations of human rights that the Palestinian people were and is still subjected to;
– confirmed the necessity of lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip and immediately allowing the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip.
For his part, His Excellency Mr. Maksym Subkh stressed that Ukraine, as a country that struggles against daily Russian terrorism that threatens the lives of civilians, strongly condemns the brutal attack perpetrated by Hamas armed groups on Israel, calling for the prosecution of everyone who incited and helped organize the attack. He drew the attention of the meeting participants to the official statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the President of Ukraine confirming support for the right of the State of Israel to self-defense. At the same time, he expressed deep concern about the continuing increase in the number of casualties and injuries among the civilian population as a result of the ongoing confrontation.
Mr. Maksym Subkh underlined that official Kyiv continually supports the peace process in the Middle East and the implementation of the principle of the two-state solution, where Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security, noting that an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement cannot be reached except within the framework of a political dialogue based on the unconditional implementation by the parties of relevant United Nations resolutions.
The Arab ambassadors pointed out the worsening humanitarian crisis and the increase and spread of violence, and the dire consequences it may cause at the regional level. They called for adopting balanced positions regarding current developments and taking into account the principles of international law and international humanitarian law to serve peace in the Middle East and the world.
On the other hand, Mr. Subkh called on the countries of the Arab world to actively participate in implementing the Ukraine`s peace formula, pointing out the importance of restoring the smooth functioning of the export corridors in the Black Sea for the export of Ukrainian grains to the countries of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
