Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai addressed a high-level meeting on the Situation in the Middle East at the UNSC where he made a strong case that the Arab-Israeli conflict cannot be "ignored".
|Last Updated: Sep 27, 2012, 06:44 PM IST|Source: Bureau
New York: India has strongly urged the international community to urgently facilitate resumption of the Middle East Peace process, emphasising that durable peace in the West Asian region cannot be achieved without a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai addressed a high-level meeting on the Situation in the Middle East at the UN Security Council on Wednesday where he made a strong case that the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Israeli- Palestinian issue, cannot be "ignored" while the international community focusses on more recent developments in the region.
"If there is one issue that requires immediate attention of both the United Nations and the League of Arab States, it is the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Israeli- Palestinian issue.
"There can be no durable peace in West Asia without a just and comprehensive settlement, based on the realisation by the Palestinian people of their inalienable right to a state of their own with internationally recognised borders, living side by side and in peace and security with Israel," Mathai said.
India urged the Security Council as well as the Arab League to "urgently facilitate the resumption of the Middle East Peace Process".
On the issue of Syria, Mathai said India fully supports peaceful resolution of the conflict through a Syrian-led inclusive political process, "based on firm rejection of any military intervention".
He called on all sides in the conflict to cooperate with Joint Special Representative Lakhdhar Brahimi to resolve the Syrian crisis without any further bloodshed.
Mathai underlined that the UN body`s cooperation with regional organisations should "avoid selectivity".
"Cooperation with one regional organisation should not come at the cost of another. The objective of peaceful resolution of conflicts should determine the actions of the Security Council," Mathai said highlighting the strong cooperation between the Security Council and the Arab League.
Both organisations should use all tools of diplomacy to assist the concerned countries in transiting to an inclusive and participatory polity while maintaining social stability and cohesion, he added.
It is crucial to ensure that the cooperation should encompass all relevant issues related to international peace and security, particularly the fight against terrorism.
The principles of national sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity must also be respected, keeping in mind peculiarities of each situation.
Noting that despite occasional differences, the UNSC and Arab League have benefited from the convergence of objectives to maintain international peace and security.
Mathai said India stands ready to cooperate with the two bodies in further strengthening their existing cooperation to help the countries in the region meet the aspirations of their people for playing a greater role in shaping their destiny.
PTI
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