Arab League and China urge peace talks for Ukraine

CAIRO: The Arab League and the Chinese government believe that dialogue between the warring parties in Ukraine is vital to achieve peace.

This was one of the outcomes of wide-ranging discussions held at the league’s headquarters in Cairo between Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, and Zhai Jun, ambassador and special envoy of the Chinese government in the Middle East.

The two officials also covered various other issues including cooperation between the Arab world and China, according to an official Arab League source.

The source indicated that during the meeting “the two sides exchanged views on the developments (in) the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and the repercussions of that crisis on the international community; as the Chinese envoy indicated that his country would continue to play a constructive role in easing tensions, promoting peace talks and preventing humanitarian crises.”

Aboul Gheit “stressed the importance of working to resolve this crisis through dialogue and diplomatic solutions,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Aboul Gheit said he valued China’s support to Arab countries in providing vaccines and support during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reflected the level of “friendship and cooperation” between the two sides.

The source said that Aboul Gheit thanked China for supporting the Arab League in international forums and in the Security Council, including on the Palestinian issue. He also praised China for its support of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, in light of the agency’s financial distress.

The Chinese envoy indicated at the end of the meeting that his country would continue to uphold the Palestinian cause, which was “consistent in various international forums.”

Zhai said China was looking forward to the first Arab-China summit scheduled to be held during 2022 in Saudi Arabia.