Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Adel bin Abdul Rahman Al-Assoumi said that the absence of Arab countries from the ongoing Vienna talks on the Iranian nuclear program “does not serve the region.”
“The current arrangements regarding an agreement with Tehran will have repercussions on the security and stability of the region. Thus, the countries concerned, particularly the Gulf states, must be present,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He added: “The current situation does not serve any party, neither the Iranians nor the Europeans and the Americans. These negotiations are linked to the fate and rights of the Arab countries, because the nuclear program has an impact on the security, stability and interests of the region as a whole.”
He accused the US-European negotiating parties of adopting “double standards”, as they failed to respect the other parties, which “made sacrifices for the sake of the region’s security.”
Al-Assoumi also pointed to the role of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz in “supporting the work of the Arab Parliament.”
“The Kingdom’s role at the level of the Arab and Islamic nations seeks to protect Arab and Gulf countries from negative influences on their security and stability,” he underlined.
Regarding the developments in the Palestinian territories, Al-Assoumi said that the recent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque “showed that there is an Arab consensus supporting the Palestinians in confronting the brutal aggression. This confirms the Arabs’ ability to act when they agree on a goal.”
He explained: “We succeeded in conveying a unified Arab voice to the influential international parties, led by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.”
He continued: “We are working on several steps to prevent Israeli practices and push Arab and international support for the reconstruction of Gaza in light of the deliberate destruction, as well as holding the perpetrators of that criminal operation accountable in light of the inequality between a defenseless people and a heavily-armed army.”
Al-Assoumi also criticized “European positions on the Palestinian file”, describing them as “disappointing”.
“They were blaming and accusing the victims. How can one justify a plane striking unarmed civilians?” he wondered.
