YouSaid · the spoken record

Ahmed Aboulgheit

lines on the record: 6
first: 2020-10-20
most recent: 2020-10-20
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Then — and only then — can a genuine system of collective security be established that guarantees the interests of all parties and ensures the freedom of navigation in the Gulf, which is a strategic priority for the entire world. This is the situation to which we aspire. Unfortunately, it remains out of reach. That is what has prompted the Arab side to pursue any and all means to safeguard its higher interests and preserve its security and existence. Stability in the Gulf can be achieved only when we accept that no party can realize its own security when others feel threatened. The Arab side seeks security for all without exception on the basis of mutual respect and good-neighbourliness. Ambitions of hegemony and domination have no place and are unacceptable. I thank you once again, Mr. President, for convening this important meeting.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“This, in our view, is the most important barrier to establishing a sustainable system of collective security in the Arabian Gulf region that guarantees the security of all parties, responds to their concerns and realizes their strategic interests. The Arabs are seeking a healthy and constructive relationship with their neighbours in the Middle East. I have no doubt that that will require the creation of the Palestinian State recognized by Israel and the international community following an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territory. On the other hand, there is equally no doubt that the security of the Gulf, from the point of view of the Arab side, can truly come about only when the concepts of good-neighbourly relations and refraining from the threat or use of force prevail.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“The organization I represent is an organization of States with full sovereignty and independence. I am convinced that the first step towards building the much-needed trust between the two shores of the Arabian Gulf must be a frank discussion of this concept in all its practical ramifications. At a time when almost everyone has no trouble declaring respect for national sovereignty, there are still some who do not hesitate to actively and repeatedly violate that sovereignty on the ground. Confidence-building measures must be based on mutual appreciation by both sides of each other’s security concerns. The Arab side continues to feel that its security concerns are not adequately understood or appreciated by the other party in the context of widespread conflicts in the region and across the world.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“To be perfectly frank, there is still a big gap between conceptions of security on the two sides of the Gulf. From the Arab point of view, security is rooted in national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of States. That conception has been subjected to various threats over the last decade. We have seen terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, that do not recognize borders and seek to establish a so-called “Islamic caliphate”. We have also witnessed various military, political and ideological interventions in the affairs of a number of Arab States that have exacerbated existing conflicts within these countries and caused them to erupt in civil wars, as has happened in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere. The concept of national sovereignty is a cornerstone of regional security.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“In the past year, we have witnessed an unprecedented escalation that included subversive military actions — for which the United Nations recently demonstrated the the responsibility of a particular party — threats to international navigation and the use of militias within certain States. This unprecedented escalation has been cause for alarm among all responsible international forces and drawn attention to the danger that events might blow up and spin out of control. That is certainly something that no Arab State wants, nor any other global Power that loves and works for peace. Building a system of collective security in the Arabian Gulf region is an ambitious goal that remains distant given the current difficult and dangerous reality of the region.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“Allow me to thank you sincerely, Mr. President, for the holding of this important meeting, which addresses one of the most important issues for the security and stability of our region. The security of the Arab Gulf is a fundamental pillar of the concept of Arab national security. I thank the Russian Federation for convening this constructive and frank dialogue on the issue, following up on the initiative that it put forward last year on de-escalation, confidence-building and creating a system for collective security in the Arabian Gulf — which the initiative, unfortunately, calls the Persian Gulf. The Arab Gulf region remains one of the most vulnerable in the world to the threat of armed conflict.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source