France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (right) welcomes Qatar’s Foreign Minister HE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah upon his arrival at the Quai d’Orsay, the French Foreign ministry in Paris yesterday, to attend the conference of “Friends of Syria”. The group meets with leaders of the mainstream opposition to President Bashar al-Assad ahead of peace talks due later this month. The Coalition of 11 countries has yet to decide whether it will take part in UN-backed peace talks aimed at negotiating an end to a conflict that has left more than 130,000 people dead and millions displaced since it erupted in March 2011.

 

QNA/Paris

 

Qatar’s Foreign Minister HE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah chaired the Arab side at the meeting of the ministerial committee to follow up the Arab peace initiative with US Secretary of State John Kerry which was held in Paris yesterday.

The meeting was attended by the Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi as well as foreign ministers of the member states of the Follow-up Committee for the Arab Peace Initiative. Discussions during the meeting dealt with the latest developments of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

Speaking at a press conference with his US counterpart after the meeting, HE Dr al-Attiyah stressed that the peace process is the shortest and the most effective way to stabilise the region.

He also renewed the Arab commitment to the principles of the Arab peace initiative in order to achieve a just and durable peace in the region, stressing that the Palestinian cause is the core issue for all Arabs.

The Qatari Foreign Minister warned of the repercussions of the continued policies and practices and the Israeli attacks that would impede the progress of negotiations.

He also stressed that the goal of all is to reach a final and just peace agreement that ensures the peace process in the Middle East.