The Fifth Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held on Tuesday in Rabat, is an important step towards strengthening the momentum of peace in the Middle-East, several Foreign Ministers taking part in the meeting stressed.
Speaking during the event dubbed “Sustaining Momentum for the Peace Process: Lessons Learned, Success Stories and Steps Forward,” the ministers underscored the need to pool efforts to pave the way for a just and lasting solution, based on two States living side by side in peace and security.
In this respect, Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, said that the Two-State solution is not just a political objective, but a humanitarian necessity and a legal obligation based on international law, noting that it remains the only viable way to break the cycle of violence and unleash the region’s potential.
In a video address, he stressed the imperative of achieving a permanent ceasefire, releasing hostages and detainees, and facilitating the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.
“Today’s meeting allows us to consolidate this unity and momentum for a Two-State solution. With a sincere commitment from all parties, we can strengthen the global coalition and make the two-state solution a reality to transform the Middle East into a region where peace, stability and mutual respect prevail, and where people of all faiths live together in dignity,” he added.
For his part, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, emphasized the importance his country attaches to the Global Alliance, stressing that this meeting comes at a decisive moment.
“The Two-State solution is today more necessary than ever,” he added in a video message, noting that it is urgent to obtain a ceasefire that will put an end to the suffering of the population in Gaza and allow the release of all hostages and the resumption of the delivery of human aid.
“This ceasefire cannot be lasting without a political solution, and there is only one: two states for two peoples living side by side,” he said.
He pointed out that the meeting his country intends to organize with Saudi Arabia next June on the Two-State solution aims to recreate a diplomatic momentum to establish a viable Palestinian state and guarantee security in the region, calling for “collective mobilization to put an end to the tragedy of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and together pave the way to peace.”
For her part, Slovenia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, called in a video address for humanitarian aid to be delivered without obstruction, and then distributed by international humanitarian actors in accordance with humanitarian standards.
She stressed the need to support the UN and its organizations, including UNRWA, and guarantee its funding, noting that her country remains fully committed to ongoing initiatives for lasting peace.
In a video message, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares Bueno, said that the meeting takes place when the international community needs to act to increase the momentum to achieve the implementation of the Two-State solution, mainly after the launching in 2024 of the Global Alliance.
The Spanish head of diplomacy called, in this respect, for a definitive ceasefire and the immediate implementation of all its phases, as well as the immediate entry of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people.
Other than the reconstruction of Gaza, it is essential to work towards a unified government in all of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, and a Two-State political solution, he insisted.
Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, stressed his country’s firm belief that the Two-State solution is the only viable way to freedom, peace and security for both States.
Noting that the situation in Gaza and the West Bank required “our immediate response,” he said that the Global Alliance was established so that the concerned members of the international community could take the necessary steps to build sustainable peace and a Palestinian state.
In this respect, he stressed the “critical” importance of the initiative undertaken by the Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdom of the Netherlands to organize this meeting, which will pave the way for better results at the conference to be co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France in June.
In this vein, the Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Varsen Aghabekian Shaheen, expressed her thanks to Morocco for hosting, in partnership with the Netherlands, this Global Alliance meeting which provided a perfect opportunity to pool regional and international efforts for a just and long-term solution.
This fifth meeting, which follows four other meetings held in Riyadh, Brussels, Oslo and Cairo, showcases collective commitment to the Two-State solution, as a realistic option to end the conflict, she added, noting that this meeting serves as a reminder of the dramatic situation endured by the Palestinian people and underlines the common determination to confront this cruelty.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Christiaan Rebergen, pointed out that the Two-State solution can truly bring peace, security and stability in the region, adding that the situation prevailing on the ground today is unacceptable and “we must show the will to work together to implement this solution.”
After noting that this event marks the first meeting co-chaired by an Arab and a European state under the aegis of the Global Alliance, he stressed that it is also an opportunity to discuss ways of establishing a robust Palestinian economy that promotes the prospects of the Palestinian people, as well as an independent Palestinian State.
