LOC23:38
20:38 GMT
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (KUNA) - Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya renewed on Sunday the GCC countries' call on Iraq to fully respect the sovereignty of the State of Kuwait, all its territories, islands, high grounds, and maritime areas.
The minister made his remarks during a speech he made in the GCC-ASEAN ministerial meetings, held in Kuala Lumpur.
Minister Al-Yahya, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the GCC, co-chaired the meeting with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo, who headed the ASEAN side.
Al-Yahya also emphasized the need for Iraq to adhere to international agreements and United Nations resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolution 833 regarding the demarcation of the border between the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Iraq, and called on Iraq to complete the demarcation of the maritime border between the two sides beyond Marker 162 in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the rules of international law.
Meanwhile, the minister underlined that the entire Dorra field lies within the maritime zone of the State of Kuwait, and that ownership of the natural resources in the divided submerged zone, including the entire Dorra field, is jointly owned by the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and that they alone have full rights to exploit the natural resources in that zone in accordance with the provisions of international law and based on the agreements reached between them.
Regarding Palestine, Al-Yahya said that, within the framework of a collective commitment to enhancing international security and stability, the GCC expresses its concern over the tragic escalation in Gaza Strip and strongly condemns the targeting of innocent civilians, affirming its full solidarity with the Palestinian people.
He called for an immediate end to the Israeli aggression, the lifting of the blockade, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid, rejecting all attempts for forcibly displacing Palestinians. He reiterated steadfast support for the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The minister also commended the ASEAN countries' position in support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in this regard.
Al-Yahya added that Kuwait's involvement here affirms its commitment to establishing the international partnership approach, promoting communication with regional blocs and broadening cooperation in the multilateral arena amid the rapid development of Gulf relations with ASEAN countries and China in various fields in a way that boosts joint interests.
The minister said the GCC-ASEAN cooperation framework for 2024-2028 covers the promotion of cooperation in four areas pertinent to political- economic and trade dialogue, energy, food security and coordination in international arenas.
He noted that the two summits an opportunity for participating countries' leaders to share views on regional and international developments and coordinate stances in international domains.
The foreign minister recalled the first GCC-ASEAN summit held in Riyadh in 2023, which outlined priority areas of cooperation between the two sides, especially since commercial, trade, and investment exchange have reached more than USD 130 billion.
Al-Yahya stressed that Kuwait's participation in Kuala Lumpur shows Kuwait's firm commitment to reactivating its developmental diplomacy and promoting its international partnerships that are of global influence. (end)
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