Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, received His Excellency President Alexander Stubb, President of the Republic of Finland, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat, as part of his official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt. Following the meeting, His Excellency the President delivered an address before the Permanent Representatives to the League.
Gamal Roshdy, the official spokesperson for the Secretary-General, stated that the meeting featured an in-depth exchange of views on Arab-Finnish relations and on the means to bolster and develop them across various fields, in addition to discussions on current regional and international developments, foremost among them the Palestinian cause and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Mr. Aboul Gheit briefed the Finnish President on the substance of the Arab ministerial resolution issued on 21 April, which renewed condemnation and rejection of the egregious Iranian attacks against a number of Arab states, and called for holding Iran fully accountable for the losses and damage caused by its unlawful attacks, as well as for providing compensation and reparation in accordance with international law.
With regard to the situation in Palestine, the spokesperson conveyed the Secretary-General’s appreciation for the principled positions adopted by the Republic of Finland towards the Palestinian cause and its support for just political solutions grounded in international legitimacy, reaffirming the League of Arab States’ keenness to deepen frameworks of cooperation and consultation with the Finnish side in a manner that serves the causes of security, stability, and peace.
The spokesperson added that the Secretary-General reviewed the consistent Arab position on the Palestinian issue, stressing that the achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the region can only be realised through ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the lines of 4 June 1967, and commending, in this context, European positions supportive of the two-State solution, including the recognition of the State of Palestine by a number of European countries, as a step in the right direction towards translating international commitments into tangible reality.
For his part, His Excellency President Alexander Stubb affirmed the Republic of Finland’s commitment to advancing its relations with Arab states and with the League of Arab States as the overarching regional organisation, praising the pivotal role played by the League in addressing regional issues and advancing political solutions to its crises. He further expressed Finland’s deep concern over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, underscored its support for de-escalation efforts and for the two-State solution as the only viable path to achieving a just and lasting peace, and highlighted the importance of intensifying consultation between the Arab and Finnish sides on issues of mutual interest, in a manner that strengthens the existing partnership and opens broader prospects for cooperation in the period ahead.
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