New york: Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed coordination on regional and international issues and efforts to resolve regional crises, on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Arab League stated that escalating tensions in the region dominated the talks, with both sides emphasizing the need for serious international action to address the underlying causes rather than merely manage the consequences. Fahmy highlighted the impact of the escalation on the security and stability of the Arab region, international shipping, energy security, and global trade. He reaffirmed the Arab League's commitment to supporting its member states in safeguarding their security and sovereignty while protecting vital infrastructure.
Fahmy emphasized that the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea is a fundamental principle of international law that must be upheld under all circumstances. The discussions also addressed developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, focusing on the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and increasing Israeli violations in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem. Fahmy stressed the necessity for Israel to comply with international law and humanitarian law, advocating for concrete steps towards ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He reaffirmed that Gaza is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and rejected any arrangements that would separate it from the West Bank. The two leaders also discussed the situations in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Libya, as well as the worsening situation in Sudan. They renewed their call for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of safe corridors for humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and prevent further deterioration of the crisis.