Int’l conference on question of Jerusalem kicks off in Baku

Int’l conference on question of Jerusalem kicks off in Baku
# 20 July 2017 09:32 (UTC +04:00)

The fourth international conference on the Question of Jerusalem kicked off in Baku on July 20.

Organized by the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the event brought together representatives of various international organizations and diplomatic corps, APA reported.

Addressing the conference, Azerbaijani Ambassador on Special Foreign Ministry Missions Shahin Abdullayev said the Arab-Israeli conflict will not be resolved unless the Jerusalem problem is resolved.

Reaffirming Azerbaijan’s support of the UN resolutions on Jerusalem, the ambassador noted that the negative trends going on in the region has aggravated the situation, making it increasingly difficult for the Palestinians.

Abdullayev emphasized that he supports the stance of the Palestinians living in East Jerusalem with regard to the holy sites and the UN resolutions on the coexistence of the two states next to each other.

"We have close relations with both Palestine and Israel, but it does not prevent us from supporting Palestine in respect of the occupation. If the UN desserts its double standards, we can achieve something. Our cultural, military, and political relations with Israel do not prevent us from giving political support to Palestine. We can not exert pressure, but we can state our position because Azerbaijan has faced the problem of occupation. Therefore, has to take a clear position," he added.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenča said the negotiations on the Arab-Israeli conflict proved ineffective.

According to him, the UN’s “two-sate solution” plan is the only way for permanent peace and the restoration of the Palestinians’ rights. He said that Israel’s plan of illegal settlement should be prevented and the hostility among the Palestinians should be ended.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Rafael Dario Ramirez, talked about the worldwide influence of what happened in Jerusalem.

According to him, this issue should not be left to be decided on by religious fanatics and negotiations should be held to benefit the people living therein. He noted that the restoration of tourism and infrastructure will stimulate the development of the part of Jerusalem where Palestinians live.

The Assistant of the Secretary General of OIC, Samir Bakr, said that he will continue his efforts to protect Jerusalem and Palestinians. According to him, what is happening now in Jerusalem are a gross distortion of international law and the Geneva Conventions. Bakr said that Israel wants to keep the status quo, violates the norms of international law, and conducts the policy of settlement, noting that it threatens regional safety.

Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, in his turn, said that the prevention of visits of religious people to the holy sites is unacceptable. According to Mansour, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas supports the resolution of the conflict through negotiations. The steps that have been taken by Israel recently prove that the government of Israel is not interested in restoring peace.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED