Terrorism in the region has spread fear among people, undermined the economy and threatened the infrastructure of the Arab world, Abdullah Ghobash, Minister of State, said on Thursday.
Mr Ghobash told the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah that the UAE was concerned about recent events triggered by sectarianism and terrorist acts, the state news agency Wam reported.
Those events threatened to push youths in the region into an “endless cycle of extremism, violence and despair, given the lack of opportunities and fear of the future”.
Mr Ghobash also spoke of the continuing dispute with Iran over its occupation of three UAE islands in the Arabian Gulf. Support for refugees – particularly Syrians – the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Egypt were all topics at the meeting.
“The UAE Government reiterates its regret over the continuous Iranian occupation of the three islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa, and calls for the restoration of its full sovereignty,” Mr Ghobash said. “We emphasise that all actions and measures taken by Iran are in vain and contrary to international law.
“We urge Iran to respond to the repetitive peaceful and sincere calls of the UAE for a just settlement of this issue, either through direct negotiations between the two countries or resorting to the International Court of Justice, to settle the dispute in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and the provisions of international law.”
Mr Ghobash congratulated Egypt for the direction it was taking towards a stable democracy.
“We look with satisfaction to the positive developments in the Arab Republic of Egypt, given our faith in the pivotal role of Egypt in the security and stability of the Arab region and the world,” he said.
“We applaud the leadership and people of Egypt for the successes in the implementation of a future map which resulted in the election of Abdel Fattah El Sisi, to continue towards the path of democracy based on contribution of all spectrums of society under the policy of moderation, renunciation of violence and counter-terrorism, and non-use of religion as a means of exclusion, classification and rejection of sectarianism and hatred.”
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