Pakistan urges dialogue, diplomacy as only viable path to de-escalation and peace in Middle East
Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaks during a United Nations Security Council Photo: AFP
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said on Wednesday that dialogue and diplomacy, consistent with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, remain the only viable path toward de-escalation and lasting peace and stability in West Asia and the Middle East.
At the Security Council Briefing on “The Situation in the Middle East”, Ahmad said, Pakistan strongly condemned drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah Nuclear Power Plant and Saudi Arabia.
“Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the governments and the brotherly peoples of the UAE and KSA in the wake of these heinous attacks and reiterates its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all friendly countries of the region,” he added.
In the Security Council today, Pakistan strongly condemned the drone attacks on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates on May 17 as well as against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the governments and the brotherly…
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Ahmad said attacks on nuclear facilities were unacceptable and violated international norms.
“We believe that any and all targeting of nuclear facilities constitutes a grave violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the UN Charter, and the fundamental principles of nuclear safety and security enshrined in the Statute and various resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” he said.
He warned that the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE had underscored the urgent need to reduce tensions in the region.
“The unacceptable drone attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and against the UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Power Plant are yet another reminder of the imperative to definitively stop the ongoing tensions and confrontation in the region,” he said.
The unacceptable drone attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and against the UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Power Plant are yet another reminder of the imperative to definitively stop the ongoing tensions and confrontation in the region.
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Ahmad urged all sides to avoid steps that could further inflame the situation.
“Let me emphasise that dialogue and diplomacy, consistent with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, remain the only viable path toward de-escalation and lasting peace and stability in West Asia and the Middle East.”
Let me emphasize that dialogue and diplomacy, consistent with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, remain the only viable path toward de-escalation and lasting peace and stability in the West Asia and the Middle East.
It is in this context that Pakistan has been…The Pakistani envoy said Islamabad had been working to support diplomatic engagement between the parties involved.
“It is in this context that Pakistan has been making sincere efforts to facilitate diplomatic engagement between the concerned parties – and we thank the parties and all our partners, as well as the UN Secretary-General for supporting these efforts,” he said.
“Pakistan will continue to play its constructive role to facilitate dialogue between the parties for a fruitful outcome."
The statement came after a drone struck an electrical generator near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE, with no radiation impact or injuries reported. Later, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted three drones after they entered its territory from Iraqi airspace, while its defence ministry said it would take operational measures against any attempt to violate the kingdom’s sovereignty and security.