Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, chaired the meeting of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level in the regular session (165), which was held in the Jordanian capital, Amman, yesterday, in the presence of Arab foreign ministers and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.
At the beginning of the session, the Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered the Kingdom of Bahrain’s speech at the meeting, expressing thanks to Ayman Al-Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, for hosting brotherly Jordan the work of this session, and for the warm reception and generous hospitality. He also expressed appreciation to the ministers for responding to the call to hold this meeting, which comes in very delicate circumstances that require intensifying consultation and coordination to enhance Arab solidarity and protect Arab national security, in a way that achieves the aspirations of our peoples for security, stability and development.
He said that the region has witnessed during the past months the repercussions of the sinful Iranian attacks on the GCC countries and Jordan, using missiles and drones, targeting civilian objects and residential areas, in flagrant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. Pointing to the exacerbation of the damage as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted navigation, harmed the global economy, and detained about twenty thousand sailors far from their families.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that the Arab countries welcomed the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran to end the war, as a positive gesture towards reducing the escalation and reaching a comprehensive agreement, expressing the importance of respecting the sovereignty of the countries of the region, protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with Security Council Resolution No. 2817, and comprehensively addressing everything that threatens the security of the Arab countries.
The Minister praised the efforts of His Excellency President Donald Trump, President of the United States of America, and his determination to bring peace and stability to the region in cooperation with its leaders, praising all the mediation efforts of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the State of Qatar in supporting dialogue and peaceful endeavours.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs indicated that this meeting is being held with the authorization of Their Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses, the leaders of the Arab countries, with the aim of adopting the decision to appoint the new Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Nabil Fahmy, who will begin his duties as of the first of next month.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed appreciation and pride in the rich career of Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, who led the General Secretariat over two successive terms with wisdom and ability, at one of the most delicate stages that the Arab nation went through. He said that he was known for the depth of his diplomatic experience, the clarity of his mind, the solidity of his position in defending Arab constants, and his keenness to unify the Arab ranks.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs praised the sincere cooperation and close coordination he witnessed from Ahmed Aboul Gheit during the preparation for the Bahrain Summit, the thirty-third Arab Summit, and throughout the period of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s presidency of that session for a full year, noting that he was a major partner in the success of its work and achieving its results, expressing appreciation for his sincere efforts and valuable contributions in supporting joint Arab action and enhancing the status of the Arab League.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s keenness to strengthen the process of joint Arab action, and to continue close coordination with the General Secretariat under the leadership of the new Secretary-General, in a way that improves the League’s ability to respond to the challenges of the region.
The Ministerial Council discussed the topics on its agenda, and agreed, based on the authorization of Their Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses, the leaders of the Arab countries, to appoint Mr. Nabil Fahmy as Secretary-General of the League of Arab States for the next session. It also approved the appointment of heads of missions of the League of Arab States abroad.
The delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the meeting included Sheikh Khalifa bin Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ambassador Fawzia Zainal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the League of Arab States, Ambassador Saeed Abdul Khaleq Saeed, Head of the Coordination and Follow-up Sector, and the delegation accompanying the Minister.
