Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit has underpinned that as long as the Palestinian cause remains unsolved, instability will remain in the Middle East and the Arab region.
The continuity of the Israeli occupation to the Palestinian lands has led to mounting rage among Arabs, impacting the stability, security, economic growth, and joint action, he added.
Abul Gheit continued that the Arab region needs economic and social reforms to fulfill the ambitions of the youth, who represent more than 60 percent of the population.
A source from the AL said that these statements were made on the sidelines of the two-day conference 'Roma MED – Dialoghi mediterranei' (Mediterranean Dialogues) on Friday.
The conference, hosted by Rome annually, is seen as a key platform to discuss the region’s issues and possible ways to tackle them. A number of leaders and foreign ministers take part in the conference.
Abul Gheit was keen during his intervention to shed light on the huge movements in the Arab world, especially in Iraq and Lebanon, the source added, saying that they represent the people’s rejection of failure in fulfilling economic aspirations and their refusal to regional intervention from non-Arab parties.
The Secretary-General affirmed that the region suffered from strategic void for several reasons including the inconstancy of the US administration and the rising international rivalries, which encouraged terrorist groups and regional parties to seek to fill this void.
The only project that deserves support, he continued, is that of "a national state that rejects sectarianism and terrorism and is based on good governance."
