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Egypt Renews Firm Stance to Support Palestinian Cause

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on September 9, 2021 shows Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (C) meeting with his counterparts, Jordanian Minister Ayman Safadi (L) and Palestinian Minister Riyad al-Maliki (R), at the Tahrir Palace in Cairo, prior to the start of the work of the 156th session of the Arab League at the ministerial meeting. (Photo by - / Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP)
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on September 9, 2021 shows Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (C) meeting with his counterparts, Jordanian Minister Ayman Safadi (L) and Palestinian Minister Riyad al-Maliki (R), at the Tahrir Palace in Cairo, prior to the start of the work of the 156th session of the Arab League at the ministerial meeting. (Photo by - / Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP)
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Egypt Renews Firm Stance to Support Palestinian Cause

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on September 9, 2021 shows Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (C) meeting with his counterparts, Jordanian Minister Ayman Safadi (L) and Palestinian Minister Riyad al-Maliki (R), at the Tahrir Palace in Cairo, prior to the start of the work of the 156th session of the Arab League at the ministerial meeting. (Photo by - / Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP)
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on September 9, 2021 shows Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (C) meeting with his counterparts, Jordanian Minister Ayman Safadi (L) and Palestinian Minister Riyad al-Maliki (R), at the Tahrir Palace in Cairo, prior to the start of the work of the 156th session of the Arab League at the ministerial meeting. (Photo by - / Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry affirmed Thursday his country’s firm stance to support the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Shoukry also urged international and regional parties to fulfill their role in providing the proper climate for pushing forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process during the coming period.

The Minister’s stance came during a tripartite meeting held in Cairo with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki ahead of the 156th ordinary ministerial session of the Arab League Council that was later held on Thursday.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Hafez said in a statement that the meeting aimed to discuss the latest developments in the Palestinian cause and the efforts made to work on re-engagement in the peace track and launch a serious and constructive negotiating process for reaching a comprehensive and just settlement on the basis of the two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He said both the Jordanian and Palestinian ministers praised Egypt's initiative to rebuild Gaza and provide development support to the Palestinian territories.

Thursday’s meeting also discussed the most prominent regional and international developments and stances towards a number of Arab issues, while the three ministers stressed the need to enhance joint Arab cooperation frameworks and agreed to continue their trilateral consultation in a way that achieves the interests of their countries and peoples.

Later, Shoukry said his country rejects all acts that would target the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of the city of Jerusalem and its sanctities or change the historical and legal status quo, affirming that settlement activities in all of the occupied Palestinian territories should be stopped.

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Pedersen Says ‘Extremely Critical’ to Avoid Syria Being Dragged into War in Region

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
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Pedersen Says ‘Extremely Critical’ to Avoid Syria Being Dragged into War in Region

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)

The UN special envoy for Syria said on Sunday that it was “extremely critical” to end the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza to avoid the country being pulled into a regional war.

“We need now to make sure that we have immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, that we have a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that we avoid Syria being dragged even further into the conflict,” said Geir Pedersen ahead of a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has not released any details about the Pedersen-Sabbagh meeting. It only issued a brief statement in which it announced the meeting.

Local sources said Pedersen's second visit to Damascus this year is aimed at exploring the possibility of resuming the Constitutional Committee meetings aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis.

The meetings have been stalled since the eighth round on February 22, 2022, due to a dispute over the venue of the reconvening of the Constitutional Committee. Russia, which is not satisfied with Switzerland's joining Western sanctions against Moscow because of the Ukraine war, refuses to hold it in Geneva.

“Pedersen is holding talks with Syrian officials in Damascus, where he arrived last Wednesday, about the possibility of resuming the Constitutional Committee meetings,” reported Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper.

Earlier this month, Russian presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told TASS: “As you know, only one venue - Geneva - is still unacceptable for the Russian side. As for all others, we are ready to work there.”

He added: “Probably, there is an open option with Baghdad, which, regrettably, was rejected by the Syrian opposition. It refused from this venue because Baghdad is supporting Damascus. They don’t think that Iraq is a neutral venue.”

The Russian diplomat stressed that the committee’s work should be resumed as soon as possible, but, in his words, it takes a lot of effort to find a venue that would be acceptable for both Damascus and the Syrian opposition.

Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Syria against government forces, Iranian troops and Hezbollah targets since the eruption of the crisis there in 2011. Strikes have increased following the Israeli war on Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll of the Israeli airstrikes on Palmyra city on November 20 continues to increase with many people suffering from severe injuries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of three Syrians and two non-Syrian members of Iranian-backed militias, bringing the number of fatalities to 105.