Arab peace advocacy: Bou Habibs vision for comprehensive solutions

3^min

Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib affirmed the "Arab desire to end the conflict through the establishment of a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace based on the two-state solution, and the Arab Peace Initiative issued at the 2002 Beirut Summit, for the peace project to succeed in our region."

During a lecture at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, the Foreign Minister explained "Lebanon's position, supporting the restoration of calm and security to the south through Israel's withdrawal from all Lebanese territories it still occupies, especially the Shebaa Farms, and the cessation of violations."

He noted that "the Prime Minister requested during the refugee conference in Geneva that the High Commissioner for Refugees initiate pilot programs for the safe return of Syrians to their villages, as their continued presence without solutions in Lebanon threatens the security and stability of the region."

Bou Habib also met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and they agreed on "the importance of respecting human rights in all conflicts and avoiding double standards."

They also discussed "the provocations faced by Lebanon and attempts to lure it into war." They emphasized the "importance of Palestinian unity to achieve an independent Palestinian state."

On the other hand, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria, Ahmed Attaf, informed Minister Bou Habib during their meeting of "Algeria's support and standing by Lebanon and the Palestinian cause, as a representative of the Arab voice in the United Nations Security Council, to restore rights to their rightful owners."

The two ministers, Attaf and Bou Habib, also agreed on "the importance and necessity of US pressure on Israel to accept a peaceful resolution to the conflict, by international legitimacy."

Bou Habib also discussed the situation in the Middle East with the Foreign Minister of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi, and they agreed on the "urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the two-state solution in Gaza."

In addition, Bou Habib met with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, emphasizing the "need to stop the war and its dangers on the situation in the Middle East." The Iranian minister also briefed his Lebanese counterpart on political contacts and the Iranian initiative to end the conflict.