كلمة وزير الخارجية الجزائري أحمد عطاف في منتدى الاقتصاد والتعاون العربي مع دول آسيا الوسطى وأذربيجان

The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

And prayers and peace be upon his truthful and trustworthy prophet.

Thank you, Mr. President.

It is my pleasure at the beginning of this speech to express my sincere thanks to our brothers in the State of Qatar for the warm welcome, generous hospitality, and abundant care with which they have showered us since we arrived on your land and found a welcoming home in the embrace of this good and hospitable land.

It also does not escape me to congratulate you on the precise organization of the proceedings of this third session of the Forum on Arab Economic Cooperation with the countries of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. This session, which we hope will contribute to giving greater impetus and stronger momentum to the relations that link the countries and peoples of these two spheres, especially as we celebrate this year the completion of ten full years since the establishment of this forum.

This forum, which we want, firstly, to be a platform for strengthening political coordination. And this forum, which we want, secondly, to be a platform for intensifying economic cooperation. And this forum, which we want, thirdly and finally, to be a forum for encouraging and promoting cultural, indeed civilizational, interactions between our countries and peoples.

Regarding, firstly, the political aspect of our deliberations, we see the necessity of directing our joint efforts, primarily and foremost, towards supporting the Palestinian cause, the most just cause on the face of the earth, the oldest cause in the history of our United Nations organization, and the most prominent cause that requires the international community to prioritize it in the current pivotal stage.

This cause is more in need today than ever of our individual and collective voices, positions, and endeavors, with the aim of pressuring to put an end to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, with the aim of enabling humanitarian relief efforts to achieve their full objectives, and with the aim of stopping the killing, destruction, displacement, and starvation that befalls our Palestinian brothers.

It is high time for the international community to take a firm stand on its historical responsibilities towards the Palestinian people, to lift the injustices and tragedies inflicted upon them, to fulfill its promises and covenants towards them, and to work towards the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state as the basis for any peace process, as a just, lasting, and final solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and as a fundamental pillar for establishing peace, security, and safety throughout the Middle East.

Regarding, secondly, the economic field, it is precisely the field that our countries collectively have given a prominent position in this sphere, as reflected by the very name of our forum and the format of participation in it. Therefore, we aspire to succeed in expanding our cooperation relations and elevating them to horizons that fully respond to the hopes and aspirations of our peoples, and to best utilize the great potential and immense capabilities that our countries possess, and to make the best use of the elements of integration that lay the foundation for constructive and purposeful partnerships, and for fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation.

From this perspective, it is incumbent upon us to set as our goal the removal of obstacles and impediments that limit the volume of trade exchanges and weaken the level of inter-investments. Trade and investment are two fundamental pillars for building a sustainable relationship that brings benefit and advantage to all concerned parties and those committed to it.

Regarding, thirdly and finally, the human dimension, we are immensely proud of the authentic and connected cultural, religious, and civilizational commonalities that unite us, which should be built upon and invested in to dissolve differences, bridge distances, and spread the values, principles, and ideals that we share faith in and commit to dedicating in service of an international system where justice and fairness prevail, a system where everyone resorts to truth and law, a system where each of our countries fulfills its responsibilities towards it, and a system that imposes upon us a pressing concern, which is to ensure security, safety, development, and prosperity for all without exception.

In conclusion, I can only affirm Algeria's commitment to engaging with all honesty and sincerity in this collective effort, and in this unique and unparalleled framework, which constitutes a promising model for fruitful dialogue, constructive consultation, purposeful coordination, and certain and beneficial cooperation.

Thank you, Mr. President.

[Applause]

[Music]