Foreign Minister attends meeting on Palestinian Refugees

Manama, June 23 (BNA): Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani participated today via video conference in the extraordinary conference at the ministerial level for donors to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Chaired by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Swedish Minister of International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson, the virtual session was also attended by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarin. Addressing the virtual session, Dr. Alzayani said that the Palestinian issue among the oldest on the agenda of the UN Security Council, as it dates back to Resolution 56 in August of 1948. He stressed other resolutions issued by UN Security Council and the General Assembly, highlighting other International and regional efforts to achieve peace in Middle East region. He urged the international community to building years-long efforts reach a peaceful, comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, which will guarantee the inaliaenable rights of the Palestinians as stipulate in the UN resolutions. He affirmed Bahrain's appreciation the UNRWA-led role in supporting the Palestinian refugees, and providing relief and development aid to nearly five million people in the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. He reiterated Bahrain’s steadfast support to the Palestinian people and their legitimate and inalienable rights to establish an independent state on its territories, with Al-Quds as its capital, East Jerusalem, based on the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant UN resolutions, as well as continuing to support the Palestinian economy at the bilateral and multilateral levels. “Bahrain has been a permanent contributor to UNRWA's core programs since 2000 through the Royal Humanitarian Foundation”, he said, stressing the establishment of many development projects in the Gaza Strip in cooperation with the Agency, including libraries, schools, health centers, scientific laboratories.