UAE seeks peaceful solution to islands issue

The developments the UAE has seen over the last four decades were not only in infrastructure, urban and economic fields, but also cover the human development, said Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. “UAE works in the light of its culture and history, and is keen on updating its political systems, and expand the participation, governance and always looking forward in the presence of a number of challenges it faces”, he noted. Dr Gargash was speaking at a meeting held here on Thursday, addressing 65 media men and reporters from 26 Arab and foreign countries, who are visiting the country at an invitation of the National Media Council on the occasion of the 41st National Day celebrations of the UAE. He said: “The entire international community is concerned over the Iranian nuclear programme, and we are concerned too, because any decisions or developments in this regard would have complications on us and any military action would be a disaster in the region.” “Al Qaeda had hijacked the religion over the last 10 years, which resulted in a state of instability in a number of countries, and created some tensed flash-points in some other states”, he said. He added that the UAE is keen on updating its education system to meet challenges. “ We have been looking forward to have a modern education system, and meet the future needs’, he noted. He said the UAE had been carrying out humanitarian works and economic support to Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan for the last 10 years. Speaking on the situation in the Middle East, Dr Gargash said: “ What happened in Gaza Strip showed that the problem is still existing, and there must be a radical solution for it, and that is the two-state solution”. He said that Israel doesn’t want that solution, and has been trying to change the events on the ground by building settlements and confiscating lands. He said the issues, our foreign policy is concerned with, do not confine to the regional and Arab ones, but also include the events in some neighbouring countries. “Our relations with India and Pakistan are strong”, he said, and pointed to the initiative of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, towards the Pakistani girl Malala Yousoufzai, who was injured in Taleban attack. On human rights issue in the UAE, he said : “ There is a positive view for the issue, but we still face challenges.  He said that a number of  labour force exporting countries have recognised in the international forums, especially the Human Rights Committee in Geneva, that the UAE has made important achievements in improving the work environment and the conditions of workers”. On the status of woman , he said: “We are Arab and Islamic society, and Islam has empowered woman to work, and grants her rights, hence the Emirati women hold higher posts abroad, especially in the UAE embassies and consulates general.” He said the death penalty is also a challenge in the UAE, adding that “there are obvious matters which cannot be changed in religion, and we as an Islamic society developed our human rights”. The death penalty was carried out only once over the last 10 years in the UAE, he recalled. He said the UAE has free media, transparent laws, effective participation and continuous dialogue. He shed lights on the current incidents in Egypt, and said: “Egypt is a pivotal Arab state, and the developments taking place in it on both cultural and political levels, undoubtedly have impacts on the Arab world.” On UAE relations with Iran, he said: “ Our relation with Iran is ripe and agree on some issues and disagree on others”. He however, said Iran is our neighbour, and we are important trade partners with Iran, and the UAE does not seek to create any confrontation, but wants to develop that relation, through direct negotiations or refer the case to the International Court of Justice “. “We want a peaceful solution to the UAE three islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Mousa occupied by Tehran,” he said A year and a half ago, the Iranians requested us for the bilateral dialogue, and sought to avoid media, he said, adding that we had arranged for the dialogue in the course of a year, and we showed our good intentions by taking a number of measures. The dialogue was scheduled to begin last April, but the Iranian President visited the three occupied islands, and announced that the three isles are Iranian, and no power would change this fact. Dr Gargash said this showed that they are not serious in resolving the issue. We are still demanding to resolve the issue or implement the international law or refer to the International Court of Justice. On the Iranian nuclear programme, he said we support the right of the country in obtaining peaceful nuclear powers, and Tehran should pay attention to the concern of the World and the International Nuclear Agency over its nuclear programme. He also spoke about the situation in Syria, and said: “The situation had changed to a civil war, and was militarised, so we look forward to seeing a political solution and the transfer of power smoothly. “ Syria cannot afford the transfer of power in a chaotic way as the environment for the transfer is not available. He, however, voiced concern over the on-going conflict and destruction in Syria, saying that the horizons for political settlement are blocked, and called on the opposition to make their presence felt.