This came during His Excellency's speech at the 46th extraordinary meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Cooperation Council, to discuss the latest developments in Syria, chaired by His Excellency Mr Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait - Chairman of the current session - of the Ministerial Council, and attended by Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the GCC states.
At the outset of his speech, His Excellency the Secretary General extended his highest thanks and utmost gratitude to His Highness Shaikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Chairman of the current session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, for the great and unlimited support and kind directives to advance the march of joint Gulf work, with Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC states and for the State of Kuwait's generous hosting of this extraordinary meeting.
"This meeting reflects the great keenness and interest of the GCC states in the issues of the Arab and Islamic nations. It seeks to enhance joint cooperation among the GCC states to address current challenges and work towards achieving security and stability in the region, which contributes to supporting sustainable development and strengthening Arab and Islamic unity," His Excellency stated.
His Excellency said in his speech that the 45th summit of the esteemed Supreme Council of the GCC discussed many of the latest developments on the regional and international arenas, most notably the developments of the Israeli war and its continued violations against the Gaza Strip, which exceeded all international laws, customs, and humanitarian standards, and its unprecedented dangerous repercussions on regional and international security and stability, especially since the final statement of the summit called for supporting and enhancing all political, humanitarian, and relief efforts to stop these violations, in addition to calling on the Security Council to implement its resolutions No. 2735, No. 2712, and No. 2720, to alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people.
His Excellency explained that since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the Cooperation Council has adopted a firm stance and a clear policy towards the crisis in Syria, and has made continuous efforts to support the brotherly Syrian people, including Kuwait's hosting of a number of donor conferences to support the humanitarian situation in Syria, and the provision of relief and humanitarian assistance by the GCC states to the brotherly Syrian people amounting to more than 8 billion US dollars, and its hosting of more than 2 million residents from the Syrian brothers, who enjoy all the rights and privileges that guarantee them a decent life among their Gulf brothers.
"On the political level, the GCC states have supported the efforts of the United Nations and its special envoy aimed at a political solution to the Syrian crisis, in accordance with the Geneva 1 statement and Security Council resolution No. (2254), in which the Security Council called on the former Syrian regime to exercise wisdom and work to achieve immediate reforms that meet the aspirations of the Syrian people, preserve its unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and reject any foreign interference in its internal affairs," His Excellency said.
In this context, His Excellency stressed that the repeated Israeli attacks on the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic, and the Israeli occupation forces' occupation of the buffer zone on the Syrian border, as well as the Israeli government's decision to expand the construction of settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, are a flagrant violation of international laws and Security Council resolutions, and the disengagement agreement signed between Syria and Israel (1974), stressing the need for the international community to play its role and responsibilities to stop these attacks on Syrian lands, and the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Syrian territories, especially since all GCC states welcomed the contents of the statement issued by the Arab Ministerial Contact Committee on Syria, which was held on December 14, 2024, in Aqaba, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Furthermore, His Excellency also praised the positive steps taken by the interim Syrian government in the peaceful transfer of power, ensuring the safety of civilians, and the positions it announced to preserve Syrian state institutions and resources, and achieve national reconciliation, as key pillars for maintaining security and stability, and restoring Syria's regional role and international standing, stressing the need for the concerted efforts of all parties and components of the Syrian people, and prioritising the supreme interest and national unity, and consecrating the language of dialogue, to achieve the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people in consolidating security, stability, development, and prosperity.
His Excellency also referred to what was stated in the final statement issued by the Supreme Council in its 45th session, regarding the developments in the sisterly Lebanese Republic, stressing the Cooperation Council's firm stances with the brotherly Lebanese people and its continued support for Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and stability, condemning the serious Israeli attacks and emphasising the importance of implementing comprehensive structural political and economic reforms to ensure that Lebanon overcomes its political and economic crisis. The statement also underscored the need to implement Security Council Resolution 1701 and the return of displaced persons to their homes, as well as the restoration of lasting security and stability in Lebanon, in addition to ensuring respect for the integrity of its territory, political independence, and sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders, and the extension of the Lebanese government's control over all Lebanese territories, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions and the Taif Agreement.
His Excellency concluded his speech by stressing the keenness and interest of the GCC states in their brotherly and historical relations, and their strong ties with the Syrian Arab Republic and the Lebanese Republic, and making every effort to ensure their security and stability, which contributes to their prosperity and the sustainable decent living of their peoples.