Cairo,(ONA) - The Sultanate called for Arab solidarity with the Sudanese people to overcome their ordeal due to the heavy rains and floods that caused great damage and great loss of life and property, offering sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims.

This came during the Sultanate’s speech delivered by Counsellor Badr bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Sultanate to the Arab League, in the 154th Ordinary Session of the Arab League Council at the Permanent Delegates level at the headquarters of the League's General Secretariat, chaired by the State of Palestine succeeding the Sultanate of Oman.

Al-Busaidi indicated that the Sultanate had earlier expressed its welcome to the peace agreement that was signed by initials between the government of the Republic of Sudan and a number of armed factions under the appreciated sponsorship of the Government of Southern Sudan, and the Sultanate hopes that this agreement will contribute to achieving peace, security and stability in Sudan, and fulfilling the aspirations and hopes of the brotherly Sudanese people.

During his speech, Al-Busaidi stressed the Sultanate’s fundamentals calling for the unity of the Libyan state and supporting the pillars of stability and security, calling on all Arab brothers to support the efforts of the Libyan parties in achieving peace and stability, and supporting the efforts of the Arab League in this field in a manner consistent with the aspirations of the brotherly Libyan people.

He said that, in confirmation of these constants, the Sultanate welcomed the ceasefire declaration in Libya issued by the Libyan Presidential Council and Parliament, and called on everyone to seize this opportunity to work seriously to reach a comprehensive and lasting peaceful solution to the Libyan issue.

Al-Busaidi explained that the 153rd session of the Arab League Council, chaired by the Sultanate, witnessed many issues and developments, foremost of which was the Palestinian issue. The League Council held an extraordinary session on April 30, 2020, during which the Council discussed Israeli plans to annex parts of the Palestinian territories. The Council affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian issue to the entire Arab nation and the Arab identity of Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of the State of Palestine.

Al-Busaidi stated that the Sultanate always works to support Arab rights at all levels, so it responded directly to holding an extraordinary session of the Arab League Council to discuss a central and strategic issue, which is the issue of developments in the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam file on June 23, 2020. During that session, the Council stressed the need for solidarity with Egypt, considering that Egyptian water security is an integral part of Arab national security, which requires solidarity and unification of Arab positions with the Egyptian effort aimed at achieving peace, security and stability in East Africa.

Al-Busaidi also referred during his speech to the explosion of the port of Beirut in the sisterly state of Lebanon, which was seriously afflicted and bloodied everyone's feelings, explaining that the rapid initiative of Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League to visit Lebanon and his meeting with the Lebanese President General Michel Aoun embodied the strength of Arab solidarity, standing by Lebanon and meeting the needs and assistance it requests in the framework of efforts to alleviate the crisis resulting from the explosion, expressing the Arab League’s readiness to provide assistance in investigations.

He also explained that the Arab League Council had held a ministerial-level meeting, to confront the novel corona virus crisis, which resulted in a proposal by the Arab League to establish an Arab fund, as a regional mechanism for social solidarity.

The League Council affirmed that the Economic and Social Council would continue to convene on a permanent basis, in order to be aware of the developments and advances of the crisis on an ongoing basis.

(ONA)