BEIRUT - United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday asserted UAE’s support to Lebanon for achieving stability in the fields of security and economic prosperity.
Addressing a Press conference at the Lebanese Government Saraya here shortly after his meeting with President Michel Suleiman of Lebanon accompanied by UAE Ambassador Rahmah Al Za’abi, Shaikh Abdullah hailed the role played by the Lebanese community in the renaissance of UAE.
Answering a question about UAE’s stance regarding the order by a pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir, Shaikh Abdullah said that a statement has been issued by the UAE Foreign Ministry urging the UN Security Council to invoke Article 16 facilitating a deferral of trial for another 12 months.
This will be best for stability in Sudan and an initiative by an Arab committee headed by Qatar is under way for starting dialogue and reconciliation among the various Sudanese factions, especially those who have rebelled against the government. “We believe that this necessitates more time,” Shaikh Abdullah said, adding that in the absence of deferral of decision by the court, the situation in Sudan will become worse.
Speaking on the Saudi-Syrian talks, Shaikh Abdullah said, “I do not believe that there was any dispute, except some non-conformity in viewpoints regarding certain issues. Through the initiatives of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, at the last Kuwait summit it became evident that there are real opportunities to define these disagreements and to reach a real Arab solidarity, to lay healthy foundations and to conduct the forthcoming Arab summit on a suitable way for leading it into success.”
Shaikh Abdullah stressed that his visits to Syria and Lebanon will continue and that he will pay a visit to Damascus in the next few days. On whether any Arab country may ask for the suspension of the trial of the Hariri assassination case by the tribunal set up at the International Court of Justice in Lahai for another 12 months, Shaikh Abdullah said, “I believe this question pertains to something which can happen in the future and it is not easy for anyone to predict. UAE’s stance was always clear with regard to the court trying the case. We always expect that Lebanon will be a land of clemency, reconciliation, virtue, prosperity and development.”
The Lebanese president thanked the UAE officials for their continuous support and for standing by the Lebanese people in the difficult situations as well as for the care given to the Lebanese community in the UAE. Shaikh Abdullah also briefed the Lebanese president and Prime Minister Fouad Seniora on the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers held in Cairo.
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