Foreign Minister participates in ACD Ministerial Meeting

Tehran, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Ministerial Meeting in Iran. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Ali Bagheri Kani, Acting Foreign Minister of Iran and the President of the meeting in its current session. Dr. Al Zayani said that the 33rd Arab Summit, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in May, led to constructive results and decisions which emphasised the commitment of Arab nations to achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, as well as their unwavering support for the Palestinian people's right to freedom, dignity, and the establishment of their independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty. He added that the Arab Summit adopted a number of initiatives submitted by the kingdom supporting Palestinian rights, and called for a UN-backed international peace conference to establish an independent Palestinian state, support international recognition and acceptance of a Palestine as a UN full member. This is in addition to initiatives on providing basic education and health care services to those affected by the conflicts in coordination with international organisations. The minister emphasised the vital significance of the support from ACD countries for the success of these initiatives. Dr. Al Zayani pointed out that Bahrain chaired the ACD meeting in 2021-2023, under the theme "Post-Pandemic Sustainable Recovery". He said that member states managed to overcome the challenges imposed by the global pandemic. The minister said he looked to the upcoming stage of cooperation through which would economic, commercial and investment exchange is further strengthened to meet the aspirations of the peoples of member states for peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development. The Minister of Foreign Affairs said that it was crucial to provide a safe and stable environment that is free from conflicts, disputes and wars, to achieve the aspired economic and cultural cooperation. He expressed deep concern over the ongoing war in Gaza, which he described as a major challenge threatening regional and international security and stability. He said the situation in Gaza was a painful human tragedy that demanded urgent attention from the international community to prevent further loss of innocent lives, protect civilians, and provide humanitarian and relief aid to the people of Gaza. Dr. Al Zayani underscored the Kingdom of Bahrain's firm belief that a comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East was a strategic imperative for regional security, stability and prosperity, which would benefit all the people of the region. He emphasised it would create the safe environment necessary to achieve the ACD's goals. The meeting discussed enhancing joint cooperation between member states in political, economic, commercial, cultural, tourism, educational, human resources, scientific, technological sectors, in addition to innovation, food and water security and energy, and comprehensive sustainable development. Source: Bahrain Ne ws Agency