The 33rd Arab Summit in Bahrain is anticipated to issue decisions that express a unified Arab position on the key regional issues, particularly on the more than seven-month Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, said Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ambassador Hossam Zaki.Speaking with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Zaki said the war on Gaza would normally occupy an important aspect of the Manama Summit's work as an issue of concern to Arab and global public opinions, expecting that the summit outcomes would fulfil the aspirations of the Arab people, who strongly reject the continuation of this unprecedented aggression against the Gaza Strip population.The summit will chart the course of the next moves for the collective Arab diplomatic action in a bid to reach an urgent immediate ceasefire, support the Palestinians who are going through unimaginable suffering, and prepare the way for a path that ultimately leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state, he added.Zaki pointed out that Palestinians feel a tremendous state of frustration and despair in addition to pain and suffering due to the war, and that there must be a political horizon after all this devastation caused by the occupation.Zaki added that there is no Arab fragmentation, stressing the unified and coordinated Arab position on the Palestinian cause.The global polarization certainly increases the toughness of the situation in the Middle East because it leads to a grave shuffling of cards, he said, stressing the failure of all attempts to obscure the Palestinian cause.Zaki added the events over the past months raised the global awareness on the justice of the Palestinian cause and the crimes of the occupation, slamming Israel's calls to promote its occupation to be merciful and economically beneficial to the Palestinians as a corrupt and inconsistent logic.The recent events have made the global public opinion further aware of the facts that occupation can only be inhumane, criminal, and based on apartheid and the persecution of people, he said.Asked about the possibility of adopting a unified Arab stance to face the recent US veto against recognizing Palestine as a full United Nations member, and the future of Arab-US relations in this context, he said there is an Arab plan to push important global parties to recognize a Palestinian state.There is greater openness to this option as it sends an important message to the Palestinian people that establishing their state will come in the end, and that the world will defend the two-state solution, he added. The diplomatic logic must be built upon a constant expansion of the circle of recognition of the Palestinian state, and leveraging recognition to go beyond being a symbolic step to be part of a comprehensive plan to establish the Palestinian state.He stressed the need to maintain communication with various parties, especially the US, would be important at this delicate stage to maintain the ability to influence decision-making globally, he added.Commenting on the State of Qatar's strong support for Arab issues and joint Arab action and its constant standing alongside the sisterly Arab countries, Zaki said that the State of Qatar's well-established positive role within the Arab system stems from supporting those in need support and their efforts to settle burning issues.Expressing appreciation for Qatar's important mediation efforts, Zaki highlighted Doha's efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, in full coordination with Egypt, along with its important roles in Sudan and other crisis-hit areas. He called for increasing these Qatari roles.He hailed the crucial roles played by the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt to achieve a sustainable ceasefire, stop the bloodshed and deliver aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, alongside their efforts to finalize a comprehensive deal to exchange prisoners, remove the occupation forces from Gaza, return the internally displaced people, deliver aid, and start reconstruction.There is no other mediator that has earned the trust that both Egypt and Qatar enjoy in this regard, he added.Zaki highlighted a clear rapprochement in the recent period between the Arab countries and other regional parties, especially Turkiye and Iran, with the aim of achieving common interests.He added that the war on Gaza pushed various regional parties to find common spaces, highlighting the participation of Turkiye and Iran in the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on Nov. 11, 2023, and Turkiye's active membership of the ministerial committee that was formed to defend the Palestinian cause at the international level.Zaki stressed that Arab action is a comprehensive and accumulated path that goes beyond politics and diplomacy to economic and social aspects, and all aspects of human activity through a number of ad-hoc organizations within the Arab League.Despite its large-scale focus and interest in the Palestine cause, the upcoming Arab summit will be an occasion for the media to highlight these significant aspects of joint Arab action, he said.

As part of the cultural activities accompanying the 33rd Doha International Book Fair, the Ministry of Culture organized a symposium entitled "Qatar and Cultural Diplomacy" on Tuesday evening.The symposium was attended by HE Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Thani, dignitaries, intellectuals and the book fair audience.HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to UNESCO Dr. Nasser bin Hamad Al Hanzab, and former Representative of the State of Qatar to UNESCO Ali Zainal participated in the symposium, moderated by Dr. Nawzad Abdulrahman Al Haiti, a professor at the Diplomatic Institute and an economic consultant.Zainal initially reviewed the ongoing efforts of the State of Qatar to enhance its cultural diplomacy, which included many initiatives, the most recent of which was holding a celebration organized by the Ministry of Culture at the UNESCO headquarters in the French capital, Paris, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding and Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. He also pointed out a number of other initiatives, the most important of which is the "Years of Culture", which began in 2012 with Japan, and included a large number of countries, continuing this year with the Kingdom of Morocco, in addition to the establishment of the Arab Cultural House Al Diwan in the German capital, Berlin, which was launched during the Qatar - Germany year of culture 2017, and the Arc de Triomphe horse racing award, which is held in the French capital and is accompanied by many cultural events.He also touched on the efforts of private institutions and individuals to enhance Qatari cultural diplomacy, citing in this context the "The Majlis - Cultures in Dialogue" initiative, which is a cultural exhibition that includes unique collections from the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum. Zainal called for the state of Qatar to adopt the establishment of cultural centers in important international capitals within the framework of its interest in promoting Arab culture and spreading diplomatic culture.For his part, HE Dr. Nasser Al Hanzab discussed the early interest of the State of Qatar in cultural diplomacy since the era of the Founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, who printed books at his own expense in India and sent them throughout various countries to spread knowledge, which indicates the existence of an approach by the State of Qatar in this regard that continues to this day. He also referred to the establishment of the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding and its role that confirms this approach, and what the award does in introducing cultures. It was also interested in signing an agreement with UNESCO to translate its publications on the Silk Road.His Excellency said that there is a political will in the country to introduce Qatari culture, praising at the same time the efforts of the Ministry of Culture at the local and international levels in this regard, including the culture exhibition that was held at the UNESCO headquarters recently, which was attended by more than 300 diplomats around the world and constituted a turning point in introducing Qatari culture in a headquarters that includes representatives of countries around the world.He also stressed that the State of Qatar played a fundamental role in establishing international peace and security at the regional and international levels by establishing a culture of dialogue between peoples.The state of Qatar leads many international efforts in promoting peace and creating stability, especially within the scope of the work of the UNESCO, which formulates international policies in achieving sustainable development goals.The State of Qatar is a member of the Executive Council of UNESCO, and chairs its Conventions and Recommendations, as a result of the cultural efforts of the State of Qatar globally, His Excellency added.His Excellency also noted that the goals of UNESCO intersect with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which is concerned with culture and heritage, pointing out the Ministry of Cultures keenness to register a number of elements of intangible cultural heritage on the UNESCO list, most notably the "bisht" and the Qatari "ardha".Additionally, His Excellency pointed out the state's many initiatives to spread education in the world, including the "Educate a Child" initiative and the "Education Above All Foundation", which has adopted the education for about 17 million children around the world, besides other initiatives that enhance the cultural diplomacy of the State of Qatar.