His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), welcomed the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden, which rejected the settlement expansion policies of the Israeli occupation forces in the occupied Palestinian territories and supported steps to prevent trade linked to settlements deemed illegal under international law.
His Excellency stated that the joint statement represents a significant international stance against settlement expansion, affirming that the practices of the Israeli occupation forces aimed at creating new facts on the ground cannot establish any legitimate right or alter the legal status of the occupied Palestinian territories.
He further pointed out that moving beyond declarations of rejection towards exploring practical measures against settlement-linked activities will bolster international efforts to safeguard the rights of the Palestinian people and preserve the viable foundations for establishing their independent state.
Concluding his statement, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General reiterated the GCC's steadfast position on the Palestinian cause and its full support for the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.