King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa proposed convening an international conference for a peaceful settlement in the Middle East during the 33rd Arab League summit in Manama.
"The Kingdom of Bahrain is advancing a number of initiatives to contribute to addressing the main issues of stability and development in the region. Chief among them is the proposal to hold an international conference for peace in the Middle East that could support the full recognition of the State of Palestine as well as its aspirations for membership in the United Nations," the king said.
He emphasized that the summit is taking place in "extremely difficult regional and international circumstances, with devastating wars, horrific human tragedies, and threats affecting the Arab nation." The monarch stressed the need for Arab countries to formulate a joint position to achieve a final and just peace in the Middle East.
The regular Arab League summit opened in Manama on May 16, focusing on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the prospects for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. On May 12, during the Arab League Social and Economic Council meeting in Cairo, a plan was discussed to provide emergency assistance to Palestinians to rebuild the Gaza Strip's economic infrastructure, destroyed by hostilities. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit mentioned that the plan would be approved in Manama.
Heads of 11 states, including the King of Jordan, the Emir of Qatar, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and the presidents of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, along with the Iraqi Prime Minister, attended the summit in the Bahraini capital. UN Secretary General António Guterres was also invited to the meeting of Arab leaders. According to Bahrain's BNA news agency, Russian Presidential Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov participated in the summit.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Zuma\TASS
Based on materials from TASS