President Abbas arrives in Doha to participate in Asia Cooperation Dialogue

DOHA: President Mahmoud Abbas arrived today in the Qatari capital, Doha, to participate in the third summit of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue. The President was invited by the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to participate in the summit that kicked off on October 1 and will conclude on October 3. The summit witnesses the participation of 35 member states, including China, India, Japan, Turkey, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Upon his arrival at Hamad International Airport, President Abbas was received by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi. The summit aims to enhance regional cooperation in supporting economic development and peace in Asia, and to enhance cooperation in vital areas such as energy, poverty alleviation, biotechnology, environment, and tourism, which contributes to enhancing cooperation across the Asian continent. The participation of Palestine, which joined the Asia Cooperation Dialogue in 2019, comes within the framework of the tireless efforts to expand its partnerships with the countries of the region to achieve sustainable development despite the challenges imposed by the Israeli occupation, as the Asia Cooperation Dialogue provides important opportunities in the fields of education, agriculture, and technology. By cooperating in the fields of energy security and biotechnology, Palestine can benefit from these partnerships to alleviate poverty, develop infrastructure and enhance technological capabilities. At the same time, the Palestinian participation reflects the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Asian countries in resolving global crises, including the Palestinian issue, by intensifying international efforts to stop the aggression and war of extermination against the Palestinian people and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip. It also reflects efforts to implement the UN General Assembly resolution on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice calling for the end of the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions within 12 months, and holding an international conference for this purpose. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA