Arab FMs final statement on Iraq
Regional-Iraq, Politics, 2/17/2003

The Arab foreign ministers issued a statement in conclusion of their meeting which was held in Cairo dedicated to discuss the Iraqi issue.

The statement says: The Arab foreign ministers held their urgent meeting at the headquarters of the Arab league in Cairo on February 15 and 16, 2003 and studied means of finding out a peaceful solution of the Iraqi issue based on the UN charter especially UN security council resolution 1441, the Beirut Arab summit conference, especially resolution no. 227 dated 28 March, 2002, with all its items.

In conclusion of the discussions and the deliberations, the ministers agreed to the following:
1.. the commitment of the Arab states to maintain the security and safety of Iraq and Kuwait, their territorial integrity, the Arab states rejection of aggression against any of them or threatening the security and safety of any Arab state, as being a threat to the national security of all Arab states, the same as a threat for world peace and security.

2.. Stressing the need of all Arab states abstention from providing any sort of help or facilitation to any military actions that will be conducive to threatening security and peace of Iraq and its territorial unity.

3.. Welcoming Iraq's continued cooperation with the inspectors and building a ground of reciprocated confidence, based on Iraq's cooperation with the UN inspectors with the aim of achieving their task as soon as possible in the interests of all sides. On the other side, the UN inspectors' continued objective work is a matter which will encourage reaching satisfactory results and facilitate elimination of obstacles and difficulties that might hinder cooperation between the two sides. The Arab FMs urge members of the UN Security Council to give the UN inspectors enough time to complete their mission set by the council to implement UN resolution no. 1441.

4.. The Arab FMs call on the UN Security Council to revitalize its resolutions concerned, especially article 22nd of resolution 687 providing for lifting the sanctions imposed on Iraq; voicing solidarity with the people of Iraq which has been suffering the sanctions since more than one decade. The ministers also call for the implementation of article 14 of the said resolution which states to make the Middle East a zone free from all sorts of nuclear, and chemical mass destruction weapons, excluding no one state, especially Israel, which is the only one which owns all these types of destructive weapons, altogether

5.. To continue working with the member states of the UN Security Council and the European Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Non-Aligned Movement in order to intensify international efforts aiming at sparing Iraq war and to halt the military threats and build up directed to Iraq and the region.

6.. Warning the international community to the dangers of the military aggression perpetuated against Iraq and its people as well as territorial integrity as well as warning against the grave implications of the war against the region which had suffered numerous wars, and continues to be so as a result of the continued Israeli policy of occupation and destruction against the unarmed Palestinian people and their legitimate national rights. The ministers stress that resorting to the option of war is an evidence not only on the discrepancy of the UN Security Council from performing its mission to preserving world peace and security, rather an evidence on the failure of the international system as a whole, which should be based on the UN charter as a reference to preserve peace and security in the world.

7.. Rejection of all plan and schemes aiming at imposing changes in the region and intervention in its affairs and ignoring people's legitimate interests, the peoples of the region and their legitimate causes.

8.. The Arab FMs consider their urgent meeting as continuous and assign the Arab League secretary general to continue his contacts and consultation to follow up the developments of the Iraqi issue and express their readiness to resume their meeting, whenever it is necessary.

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak calls Arab leaders to hold extraordinary summit next week   (2/15/2003)
  European refusal of war on Iraq 'sound stand', says Moussa   (2/15/2003)
  World wide demonstration in protest of attacking Iraq, today   (2/15/2003)
  Arab opposition to war against Iraq escalated   (2/11/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search