Iran out to spread terror, says Shaikh Abdullah

Shaikh Abdullah and Sergey Lavrov shake hands at the Russian-Arab forum in Moscow.

 The third Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum held in Moscow at the level of foreign ministers. UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and chair of the current session Council of the Arab League, Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, led the UAE delegation to the forum attended by Arab League Secretary-General Nabil El Araby.
In his address, Shaikh Abdullah thanked Russia and its foreign minister for hosting the forum and hailed preparations for the gathering. Later, in a joint Press conference with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Shaikh Abdullah said: "The presence of this large number of my colleague foreign ministers at this meeting shows that the Arab League takes great interest in developing these relations."
"No doubt, all of our states are suffering from the danger of terrorism and we all have the important responsibility of defusing and countering terrorism and all its roots," he added.
"In today's meeting, Arab countries made sure to express their concern over the fact that Iran continues to interfere in the internal affairs of Arab states through supporting terrorist organisations, spreading extremism and disrespecting the sovereignty of other states".
Sheikh Abdullah hailed Russia's support for efforts to end the suffering of the Palestinian people, establish Palestinian statehood and push the Arab Peace Initiative.
He hailed Russia and the US for making efforts to put an end to the conflict and the tragic situation in Syria. He noted that "the cessation of hostilities is a step in the right direction towards ending this tragic situation." he said: "There was a big opportunity today to examine a large number of Arab issues in Somalia, Libya, Yemen and Iraq where the situation in Syria is reflected in the difficult situation in Arab countries."
"This forum is an important sign for our peoples about the extent of desire of governments of Arab countries and Russia to make these relations a top priority. Although we do not always agree with Russia on all issues, we and Moscow have a common interest in a Middle East where peace, security and stability prevail." From the UAE, Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Mohammed bin Nakhira Al Dhaheri; Ambassador to Russia, Omar Saif Ghobash; and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development for Political Affairs, Ahmed Abdul Rehman Al Jarman, attended the forum. 
 

• MENA