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Hossam Zaki to Asharq Al-Awsat: No Dialogue With Iran, Turkey Until They Stop Supporting Terrorism

Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Ambassador Hossam Zaki (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Ambassador Hossam Zaki (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Hossam Zaki to Asharq Al-Awsat: No Dialogue With Iran, Turkey Until They Stop Supporting Terrorism

Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Ambassador Hossam Zaki (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Ambassador Hossam Zaki (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Ambassador Hossam Zaki said that Arab dialogue with Turkey and Iran would remain suspended until the two countries are ready to change their political approach by respecting states’ sovereignty and stopping their support of terrorism.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, ahead of the upcoming Arab Summit in Tunisia end of this month, Zaki said: “Dialogue with these two countries is suspended until the formation of a united Arab stance towards them and their readiness to change their political approach based on the principle of good neighborliness, the respect of sovereignty, non-interference and stopping terrorism support.”

The Arab situation has suffered for many years from many problems due to crises in certain countries, Zaki noted, adding that such situation had negative repercussions on the stability of the region and the decline of the process of development and political cohesion within the Arab body.

“The convening of the Arab League summit will witness talks on whether or not it will be the most important opportunity to restore Arab cohesion and deal with the existing political crises; and we hope that this summit will see serious work and all indicators confirm this already,” he stated.

Asked about the repercussions of the US decisions on Jerusalem and the Golan Heights on the summit, Zaki said: “I am looking forward to a real and in-depth discussion at the level of the Arab foreign ministers at the Tunis summit on this subject…The Golan Heights is considered occupied territory… and the Secretary-General warned of the seriousness of this action on the US mediation in the peace process in the Middle East as a whole.”

As for the question of the return of Syria to the Arab League, the assistant secretary-general emphasized that if the Syrian regime was keen on Syria’s unity, “it must take several positions that would strengthen its role and show that it does not stand alone in resolving its crises.”

“This direction does not exist so far,” he stressed.

As for the participation of the Arab League in the gathering of the Libyan national dialogue, Zaki underlined that this file concerned the Libyans only.

“The role of the Arab League is to assist, support and encourage the political process led by the United Nations. In this regard, it will host in Tunis on the eve of the summit, the quartet meeting on Libya, with the participation of the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union.”

On the latest developments in Algeria, Zaki stressed that the country did not ask for any support from the Arab League.

“Algeria did not ask, and the Arab League does not interfere because what is happening is an Algerian issue. We are monitoring the situation, trusting the wisdom of the Algerians, and supporting the stability of all the Arab countries,” he remarked.

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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told Asharq al-Awsat that global hunger increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the GCC countries were able to shield themselves from major shocks affecting food security.
Laborde added that global hunger affected over 152 million people, with no improvement in the past two years.
Today, 733 million people suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.3 billion face food insecurity, according to the UN annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”

Laborde explained that the global economic crisis has worsened food insecurity, keeping hunger levels high.
Alongside this, climate shocks and conflicts are major causes of hunger. He also pointed out that food insecurity is closely tied to inequality, and the economic crisis, rising living costs, and high interest rates are deepening existing inequalities both within and between countries.
On whether economic diversification in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is boosting food security, Laborde said: “A move towards a more diversified economy and enhancing the ability to rely on various sources of food supplies are key drivers of food security resilience and stability.”
“GCC countries have managed to shield themselves from major shocks, primarily due to their high income levels and ability to cover import costs without difficulty,” he explained.
Regarding the FAO’s outlook on reducing global hunger, Laborde insisted that ending hunger will require a significant increase in funding.
When asked for suggestions on how governments could enhance food security, Laborde said: “Despite global figures remaining stable, improvements are seen in Asia and Latin America, showing that the right policies and conditions can reduce numbers.”
“Hunger is not inevitable. Investing in social safety nets to protect the poor, along with making structural changes to food systems to be more environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable, is the right path forward,” emphasized Laborde.
The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published on Wednesday, said about 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 – one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
Hunger and food insecurity present critical challenges affecting millions globally.
The annual report, released this year during the G20 Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty Task Force ministerial meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is significantly lagging in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger by 2030.
It highlights that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those seen in 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, a troubling number of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition, with global hunger levels rising.