The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, Dr. Shaye’a Al-Zindani, chaired today the work of the 162nd session of the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers, where he took over from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritanians Abroad, Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk, the rotating presidency of the League Council.

In his speech before the Council, Minister Al-Zindani expressed his pride in the Republic of Yemen assuming the rotating presidency of the League Council at the level of foreign ministers, saying, “The national and historical responsibility placed on joint Arab action requires us to make this session a new starting point for addressing the emerging crises. And overcoming all challenges, with pure Arab will.”

He added, "The Republic of Yemen, based on the directives of His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, is keen to push forward joint Arab action and cooperate to advance it to defend the issues of our Arab nation and the interests of its peoples."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs touched on the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people, who, for the eleventh month, are still being subjected to the most heinous crimes at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces... stressing the importance of examining a plan for unified Arab action to mobilize an international position to pressure Israel to stop its crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. And the entire occupied Palestinian territory, and urged the UN Security Council to provide guarantees of protection for the Palestinian people.

Al-Zindani called for intensifying Arab efforts aimed at a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip... praising the efforts of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the sisterly State of Qatar aimed at reaching an urgent agreement that stops the unjust war of aggression and ends the human suffering that the Palestinian people are experiencing, and to work with all loving international partners. For peace to launch a peace process that leads to achieving a just peace that guarantees the Palestinian people their legitimate national rights and the establishment of their independent state with Holy Jerusalem as its capital.

Minister Al-Zindani pointed out the continued efforts of the Yemeni government to achieve the peace process and stop the escalation process practiced by the Houthi coup militia and its continued threats to shipping traffic in the Red and Arab Seas and their disastrous results, the most recent of which was the targeting of the “Sounion” oil tanker, which has become a time bomb foretelling a disaster. Environmental damage will affect Yemen and the riparian countries... Appreciating the international and regional efforts, and in particular the efforts and endeavors of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman to reach a road map that can contribute to preparing for a political solution if the difficulties and obstacles it faces due to the intransigence of the Houthi militias are overcome.

The Permanent Representative of Yemen to the League of Arab States, Ambassador Riyad Al-Akbari, and the Head of the Minister’s Office Department, Ambassador Abdul Qadir Hadi, participated in the meeting.