Attaf from Kampala: “Ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state is the permanent solution to the conflict”

The Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Mr. Ahmed Attaf, asserted on Wednesday that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the only and permanent way to end the conflict between the Zionist entity and Palestine.

Mr. Attaf’s affirmations came during his participation, on Wednesday morning in Kampala, (Uganda), in the opening ceremony of the 19th Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was overseen by the President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni.

In a speech during the meeting, Mr. Attaf praised what was stated in the final documents of the meeting, especially regarding the Palestinian issue and the issue of security and stability in the Middle East region in general.

In this regard, Mr. Attaf stressed that the Palestinian people live in hope of addressing the core and essence of the conflict by ending the occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories and accelerating the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state as a just, permanent, and final solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In the same context, the Foreign Minister said that the Sahrawi people only ask to be enabled to exercise their legitimate and lawful right to self-determination and to determine their future themselves without any coercion or guardianship, stressing that Algeria fully aligns with the firm and principled position of the Non-Aligned Movement regarding this issue, a position from which the Movement has not deviated in line with international legitimacy resolutions and in respect for the established UN doctrine in the field of decolonization.

Mr. Attaf further called on the Movement to address the problems associated with the duality of security and development through an approach that rebuilds bridges of trust between the North and the South through partnerships built on sovereign equality, mutual respect, and fruitful cooperation in confronting methods of domination, dependency, and exclusion.

The Minister also stressed that the Movement is also required to contribute to reforming the structural imbalances of the international system, starting from the UN Security Council, passing through the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and reaching the World Trade Organization.

Mr. Attaf added that among the tasks entrusted to the Movement is to work on realizing international commitments related to supporting sustainable development, including commitments to finance development, address the debt crisis, ensure climate justice, and promote good governance, in addition to supporting innovation and technology transfer to developing countries.

The Minister concluded his speech by affirming that this approach “is the same that Algeria believes in and advocates for, alongside its brothers and friends from member states, in order to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable international system.”

It is worth noting that this meeting, as indicated in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be dedicated to reviewing the progress made in implementing the outcomes of the Non-Aligned Movement summit held in Kampala in January 2024.

The meeting will also discuss “ways to continue efforts to enable the Movement to play an effective role in dealing with the growing challenges facing the world, in line with the priorities and interests of the countries of the South.”