GCC Secretary-General Welcomes Statement by 12 Nations Rejecting Expansionist Settlement Policies in Occupied Palestinian Territories

Riyadh, September 9 (KUNA) -- Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Al-Budaiwi welcomed on Wednesday the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of 12 countries, which included a rejection of the expansionist settlement policies of the Israeli occupation forces in the occupied Palestinian territories and a move toward taking steps to prevent trade linked to illegal settlements under international law.

In a statement, Al-Budaiwi said that the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden represents an important international stance in confronting settlement expansion. He affirmed that the practices of the Israeli occupation forces aimed at imposing new facts on the ground cannot create rights or alter the legal status of the occupied Palestinian territories.

Al-Budaiwi added that moving from declaring opposition to settlements to discussing practical measures against related activities would enhance international efforts to safeguard the rights of the Palestinian people and preserve the foundations for establishing their independent state. He also reiterated the GCC’s firm position on the Palestinian issue and its full support for the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, foremost among which is their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international legitimacy resolutions. (End) A.S. / N.A.A.