Third South American-Arab countries summit concludes in Lima

The Third South American-Arab Countries Summit concluded late on Tuesday with the participation of the United Arab Emirate delegation led by Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The summit issued "Lima Declaration" underlining necessity to reach a just, inclusive and permanent peace in the Middle East based on the land for peace principle and implementation of other UN Security Council resolutions. The declaration also emphasized the need to fully implement the roadmap laid out by the Middle East Peace Quartet, as well as executing UN Security Council resolution 1515, which paves the way to establish an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital, living peacefully side by side with Israel. In respect of UAE islands occupied by Iran "Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa", leaders of the countries participating in the summit renewed their support to all peace efforts, including the UAE initiative to reach a peaceful solution with Iran on the issue of the three islands through bilateral negotiations or by any peaceful means in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law. It also demanded that Israel immediately withdraw its forces from Arab lands that have been occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan Heights and Lebanese territories. It further called for removing settlements, including the ones in East Jerusalem, instant release of prisoners and lifting the siege off Gaza Strip. On Syria, the declaration voiced commitment over Syria's sovereignty, independence and unity and called for a peaceful solution to the crisis there. It condemned violent acts against unarmed civilians and violation of human rights in Syria. The declaration stressed the Syrian government should be responsible and on the need to end aggression in any shape or form without foreign interference, as well as meeting the Syrian people's demands of freedom, democracy and political reform. Dr. Anwar on the sidelines of the summit met with Ollanta Humala, President of the Republic of Peru and conveyed him greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. For his part, the Peruvian President reciprocated his greetings to His Highness the Head of State wishing him good health and happiness and the people of the UAE further progress and prosperity. Gargash also met separately with Rafael Roncagliolo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru, and Ricardo Patino, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador. During the two meetings, they discussed bilateral cooperation between the UAE and both Peru and Ecuador in addition to discussing number of issues of common concern.