UAE will cooperate with regional, international partners for peace, security

Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council, FNC, has affirmed that the UAE would cooperate with its regional and international partners in their efforts to achieve peace, security and stability, and counter terrorist organisations.

During her speech at the 137th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, in St. Petersburg, Al Qubaisi said that in cooperation with other partner countries, the UAE had taken action within its sovereign rights for self-defence and for the sake of safeguarding and securing its people.

"There is no doubt that cutting off the funding for terrorist organisations and draining them of their resources is one of the most important means to tackle and prevent extremism, and fight the ideologies of violence," she stressed.

The UAE is keen to maintain its commitment and its consistent approach to providing assistance, humanitarian support and relief to those in need, without discrimination, she stated. "We will not lose faith in our humanitarian mission, and its goals to spread good and peace and to limit the reach of evil, she added.

"We believe that we have an important humanitarian duty, as the foundation of the UAE is based on principles and values instilled by its late founder Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who believed that to build an ideal model of co-existence and tolerance, we need to devote ourselves and work consistently towards co-existence to build a world where everyone will feel safe and live in peace," Dr. Al Qubaisi remarked.

Under the guidance of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and in keeping with the 'Year of Giving', the Emirates has employed all efforts, energies and humanitarian initiatives to spread good in the region and the world, she mentioned.

"We cannot talk about civilisation without mentioning the values and principles that reflect the heritage of the people and their view of life, as values are the strong foundations on which people build their civilisation and culture," the FNC Speaker noted.

"We cannot talk about tolerance without respect for the other, and we cannot talk about moderation without dialogue, as our principles are indivisible and this is our deep belief. This is what we need in our region, which suffers from the tyranny of sectarianism and weak values of co-existence," she said.

"In compliance with these principles, we condemn the violations committed against humanity everywhere. We condemn the denial of medication, vaccines and humanitarian assistance to millions of Yemenis in the areas controlled by the Houthi militias. We also condemn the use of children as human shields in battlefields, as well as the crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar," she emphasised.

"These crimes remain a disgrace to humanity, and we have a responsibility as parliamentarians to address these violations and to express our commitment to the objectives of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and international humanitarian law. We hope that we will see an urgent international move to end these crimes.

"As parliamentarians, we also have the vital responsibility of dealing with the danger of underestimating the Charter of the United Nations and the international law. We emphasise that silence is no longer an option, as some states continue to undermine regional and international security and stability," she observed.

She pointed out that the region suffered from complex dilemmas and an intertwined mix of terrorism and extremism.

Al Qubaisi demanded an end to the ideology of superiority and expansionism while adhering to the rules and principles of international law, respect for the sovereignty of the states and refraining from interfering in the affairs of other countries, as well as working to end tensions.

"We demand an end to the Iranian occupation of the three islands of the UAE Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunb islands and a peaceful resolution through direct dialogue or international arbitration. We emphasise that we will not give up our legitimate right in this regard. This is in order to promote security and stability in the Gulf region," she asserted.

"In our region, the Yemeni crisis is an example of the influence of misleading propaganda. The Arab coalition countries have provided support to the Yemeni people and helped them at the political, humanitarian and health levels. Their military operations were legitimately carried out, in accordance with the international policy and saved the Yemeni people."

"We must really remember that the main reason for these operations is the blatant external intervention to support the coup militias which threaten the security and stability of the countries neighbouring Yemen and are a direct and serious threat to international maritime navigation in Bab Al Mandab. The complex humanitarian situation in Yemen is, therefore, not due to the role of the Arab Coalition," Al Qubaisi continued.

"In light of these reasons, we were surprised by the recent report on human rights violations in Yemen, which accuses the countries of the Arab Coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, of destroying schools and hospitals. We believe that the report is based on false information and that the irresponsible distribution of blame will continue the ongoing crisis," she added.

"It is not logical for the coalition countries to help the children of Yemen, on the one hand, and fail them, on the other hand. The nature of our historic relations with the Yemeni people prevents us from committing any abuses against our brethren," she went on to say.

Al Qubaisi also pointed out that situation in the occupied Palestinian territories for nearly 70 years, under Israeli occupation, was and will continue to be one of the major causes of instability in the Middle East.

She added that the Palestinian issue will always be an important Arab cause and the Arab world will continue to defend Islam’s holy lands, which are integral to human civilisation and heritage while stressing that establishing peace can only be achieved through a genuine political settlement. She also appreciated Egypt's vital role in ending the internal dispute among the Palestinians.

Al Qubaisi emphasised that the threats posed by the missile tests of Iran and North Korea represent a serious challenge to international security and stability, and the implementation of agreements on arms control and proliferation requires a serious and combined international stance, in accordance with the responsibilities and duties of parliamentarians to their people.

"We look forward to the liberation of all Iraqi, Syrian and Libyan cities and territories from the grip of Daesh, as well as eradicating the roots of terrorism in Arab countries and the rest of the world, and opening the doors for the return of millions of refugees and displaced people to their homes, and finding just political solutions that guarantee co-existence, unity and cohesion," she added.

"Despite all these challenges, we still have a great deal of optimism for a better tomorrow. Our ongoing work and our belief in our role as parliamentarians will enable us to unleash our positive potential, and our unity and co-operation remain a powerful force in shaping the future deserved by our future generations," she further said.

Dr. Al Qubaisi expressed her appreciation to the UAE and the FNC, as well as to Valentina Matvienko, President of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, for her warm hospitality and excellent organisation. She also thanked Dr. Saber Chaudhry, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, and Martin Chanjung, Secretary-General of the IPU.

She noted that the leadership of Dr. Chaudhry in international parliamentary work during the past three years has had a significant impact on the work of the IPU, and will remain a distinguished period in its history.

"We are confident that our union will continue on this path, and will remain a voice for the people and an open platform to defend our values, principles and stability," she said in conclusion.

The Russian news agency, TASS, yesterday quoted Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the Upper Parliament House of Russia’s Federation Council, as telling Dr. Al Qubaisi, "We have been traditionally considering the United Arab Emirates as one of Russia’s major partners in the region." Speaking after a meeting with Dr. Al Qubaisi, she added that the key task on the Russia-UAE bilateral agenda is the expansion of trade-and-economic and investment cooperation.