Brussels: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, has made an urgent appeal to the European Union to take immediate action to halt what she described as the genocide in Gaza and to support a political path toward the implementation of a two-state solution. This call was made during the fifth EU-Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels, attended by foreign ministers from Mediterranean Arab countries and EU Member States.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Shahin stressed the importance of an immediate ceasefire and the sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. She commended the EU's continued support for Palestinian state-building, reform, and development, emphasizing the need for a just peace based on a two-state solution. Shahin highlighted the ongoing violations of international law, which she claimed erode the rules-based international order.
Shahin pointed out the long-standing illegal occupation faced by the Palestinian people and described the current situation in Gaza as a genocide aimed at ethnically cleansing Palestinians. She criticized the use of starvation as a weapon and the targeting of civilians during aid distribution. Shahin also addressed the dire conditions in the occupied West Bank, noting the fragmentation caused by military checkpoints and the impact of Israeli aggression on Palestinian communities.
She warned against the accelerating colonial expansion and settler violence, which she argued amount to de facto annexation and the entrenchment of an apartheid regime. Shahin urged the EU to leverage its influence to press Israel to release withheld tax revenues, which she described as essential for Palestinian stability. She also shared concerns about Israel's efforts to undermine Palestinian authority in Gaza, despite the Palestinian leadership's plans for development and reform.
Referring to the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Shahin questioned the EU's commitment to human rights while such violations continue. She called for the EU to condition the agreement on Israel's compliance with international law. Shahin praised the EU's humanitarian measures and urged for the activation of all available tools to stop the war.
The minister expressed hope for the EU's 'Pact for the Mediterranean' to foster cooperation and prosperity but stressed that peace cannot be achieved without resolving the Palestinian question. She urged the upcoming international conference on the two-state solution to yield concrete outcomes and called on countries to recognize the State of Palestine.
Shahin concluded by commending the efforts of France and Saudi Arabia in organizing the conference and emphasized the need for all states to engage in the process to achieve security and prosperity in the region. She condemned silence in the face of international law violations, urging action to uphold justice and human rights.
