Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ehab Mostafa Awad, has affirmed that boosting co-operation between the organisation and the Arab League is no longer merely an “institutional option,” but has become a “strategic necessity” that is imposed by the intertwined challenges facing the region, ranging from wars to worsening humanitarian crises.
Speaking on behalf of the Arab Group during a Security Council briefing on the co-operation between the UN and the AL, Awad condemned the “unjustified” attacks by Iran on several countries in the region, including Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq.
He stressed the targeted states’ rights to defend themselves in accordance with international law.
The Egyptian representative also condemned what he described as “provocative moves” that aim at closing the Strait of Hormuz, and emphasised the need for the international community to ensure freedom of navigation and secure safe passage through this vital maritime route for global trade and energy.
On Lebanon, Awad welcomed the Lebanese Cabinet’s decision to ban all security and military activities of Hezbollah, urging the international community to pressure Israel to halt its ongoing attacks on Lebanese territory.
He also stressed that the key to achieving security, stability, and peace in the region lies in ending the Israeli occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to obtain their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, as the foundation for any just and lasting settlement in the Middle East.
