António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) expressed his deep thanks and gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for the extraordinary partnership between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Nations (UN).
In a press interview with Oman News Agency (ONA), he hailed the Sultanate of Oman’s role and endeavours in resolving many regional issues. He described Oman as “peace builder” in the region.
The UN Secretary General also described the Sultanate of Oman as “voice of wisdom” and “indispensable partner” as it is respected by everyone. He added that Oman has proven its capacity to talk to global powers as it is an “honest partner”, highlighting its efforts for de-escalation and alleviating tensions in the region to promote regional security.
Guterres underscored the importance of the existing relations of cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the UN, as well as its various bodies. He also underlined Oman’s constant support for the UN efforts, as well as Oman’s unique role in creating conditions for dialogue and reaching peace agreements in the region.
As for the current situations in the Gaza Strip, the UN Secretary General stressed that the UN spare no efforts to mobilize all resources and capacities to serve the population in Gaza amidst tragic and extremely difficult conditions. He expressed his sorrow for the unprecedented number of civil victims.
Guterres appealed to countries with influence on Israel to open all crossing points to ensure the flow and access of humanitarian aid to all areas in the Gaza Strip. He stressed at the same time the necessity of adopting an immediate and humanitarian cessation of all military operations in Gaza to end the continuing suffering of civilians.
He also underscored the importance of putting an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and pushing efforts towards achieving the two-state solution and granting Palestine full sovereignty over its lands.
Regarding the international efforts to grant Palestine full membership in the United Nations, the UN Secretary General touched on the challenges facing the United Nations, which was established in 1945 after the World War II. These challenges represented in the current global divisions and geopolitical developments, he concluded.
Oman Observer