In a significant diplomatic meeting held yesterday at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense, Michael Martin, expressed his country’s unwavering support for a political settlement based on United Nations resolutions and the much-debated two-state solution.
The meeting was attended by prominent Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, and touched upon pressing issues, including ongoing Israeli aggression and the bilateral relations between Ireland and Palestine.
During the meeting, President Mahmoud Abbas provided Minister Martin with a comprehensive update on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories. He highlighted the continued Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, their land, and their holy places.
President Abbas emphasized that the persistence of unilateral actions by Israeli authorities, coupled with settler terrorism, was exacerbating tensions and pushing the region towards a dangerous escalation. He called for effective international intervention to prevent further deterioration and to implement international resolutions aimed at achieving peace in the region.
President Abbas praised the existing bilateral relations between Palestine and Ireland and expressed the desire to strengthen and develop these ties in the best interests of both Palestinian and Irish citizens. He particularly commended Ireland’s provision of scholarships to Palestinian students, which has been a crucial way for educational advancement and a testament to the enduring friendship between the two nations.
The Palestinian President also highlighted the crucial role that Ireland can play within the European Union to support the political process based on international legitimacy. He urged Ireland to advocate for European support for Palestine’s quest for full membership in the United Nations, which he believes could pave the way for a political resolution that ultimately ends the Israeli control of the State of Palestine, including its capital, East Jerusalem, along the 1967 borders.
In response, Minister Michael Martin reaffirmed Ireland’s steadfast commitment to achieving a political settlement rooted in international legitimacy and the two-state solution. He assured President Abbas of Ireland’s ongoing support for the Palestinian people, with a specific focus on scholarships for Palestinian students, which will continue to play a crucial role in enhancing educational opportunities for Palestinian youth.
The high-profile meeting was attended by Ziad Abu Amr, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Palestinian Sharia Chief Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash, and President Abbas’s Chief of Staff, Intisar Abu Amara.
A.Y