RAMALLAH, January 29, 2018 (WAFA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Malki said on Monday that the leadership will approach the United Nations Security Council in February to demand international protection to the people of Palestine under Israeli occupation as well to reconsider Palestine’s application for full membership in the UN, which was first submitted in 2011.
It will also call on the Security Council members to renew their commitment to the implementation of resolution 2334 of December 2016 on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Speaking to Voice of Palestine radio, Malki said Kuwait is going to chair the Security Council in February during which many meetings will be held including the closed monthly meeting on February 20 to discuss the situation in the Middle East, followed by an open meeting of the Security Council on February 21 to discuss implementing previous UN resolutions.
He said President Mahmoud Abbas is going to attend a third meeting of the Security Council to be held on February 23 that will discuss the same issues in the presence and participation on international figures.
The Foreign Minister stressed the importance of holding the donors conference in Brussels with the participation of the six-party Arab committee at the request of the European Union. He said Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah will arrive in Belgium on Tuesday to meet with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, prior to attending the donors’ conference on Wednesday.
Regarding the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers scheduled for the first of February, Malki said the meeting would be consultative to discuss mechanisms for international action to face US President Donald Trump’s decision on Jerusalem in preparation for holding the next Arab summit in March in Riyadh.
Malki said Slovenia’s recognition of Palestine will be submitted to the parliament on Wednesday and if approved it will be enforced in the coming two months. He said the parliament’s decisions are binding to the Slovenian government, unlike other European countries.
M.N./M.K.
