Oman reiterates unflinching 
support for Palestine UN bid

The sultanate, which reiterated its backing at the 66^th UN General Assembly under way in New York, also underlined that the future Palestinian state must be based on the 1967 borders as per international resolutions.

“We have worked together as an international community and encouraged negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and the government of the Israeli occupation, but no progress has been achieved,” Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah said addressing the Assembly on Monday.

“Therefore, the world has to take serious action and honour its commitments for a fair and lasting solution. We believe that the establishment of the Palestinian State on the borders of June 4, 1967 will lead to a comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

Speaking about the situation in Somalia, Abdallah observed that the country had fallen prey to civil war due to the failure of its political leadership in “rescuing the Somali people from the triangle of poverty, ignorance and famine”. He called for a United Nation plan to establish peace and offer better humanitarian aid to that country in co-operation with the Arab League, the African Union and the Islamic Conference Organisation.

Turning to other global issues, he noted that the continued financial crisis called for new collective efforts and solutions. There was a need to put new principles for investment and international trade in order “to reach appropriate solutions to reduce negative impacts of these crises in countries and societies, particularly in developing ones,” he said.

He called for international efforts to avert a possible worldwide food crisis which, he said, threatened a large number of people with shortage of food. “There must be an international effort to expand the production area through cultivation of larger areas and through using high technology to increase production and to combat desertification that threatens it,” the Omani minister said, adding:

“There is also another issue we have to face that stems from the cosmos phenomenon, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and high percentage of environmental pollution, which lead to major human and economic loses.

“We believe that all countries, particularly powerful industrialised countries, should be united to find a solution to reduce industrial and environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions through introduction of modern techniques in this area.”

Abdallah outlined the continuous achievements’ and progress his country had made in the area of human rights. This, he added, was “a matter of pride and satisfaction for us.”

He said the international community must consider the fact that the youth was now forming the majority in terms of population while making future plans for development, especially in the economic and educational sectors. “Youth is the most ambitious and the most capable of forming the future,” he remarked, adding:

“Our region like the rest of the world witnesses deep changes and we think that the youth’s ambitions for better future full of security and good living should be welcomed by all governments.”

· ravindranath@khaleejtimes.com