UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan urged the US on Tuesday to play a more active and fair role in advancing the Middle East peace process, and to shoulder its "international responsibility as a major peace sponsor for the sake of regional and international peace and security," reported the Gulf News.
"The UAE is ready to exert all possible efforts with its sister Arab countries to support the peace process in line with international legitimacy resolutions," Sheikh Zayed said during talks with US Mideast envoy William Burns, who arrived in Abu Dhabi Tuesday as part of a regional tour, said the paper.
Talks also reviewed the latest developments in the Arab Occupied Territories and Arab and international efforts aimed at halting Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. US moves to push for resumed peace negotiations were also discussed.
Sheikh Zayed also condemned Israel's continued aggression against "the defenseless Palestinian people."
"[When] Israel unleashes its lethal weapons against the Palestinian people who have nothing but stones, we see the US unable to rein in Israel," Sheikh Zayed said.
The president added that it was also a political and moral obligation of the US to show hope to the Palestinians that the naked aggression against them would stop.
"Hopes are attached on the US administration to confront the aggressor and to support the victim and to make it clear that there is no military solution to any problem and that fire, war and violence never bring any solution," Sheikh Zayed said.
For his part, Burns said the trip witnessed fruitful discussions on bilateral relations, the latest developments in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, and the situation in Iraq, adding that he shared the concerns of Sheikh Zayed on the humanitarian situation of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, said the paper.
Burns also said he reiterated to Sheikh Zayed the commitments of US President George W. Bush and US Secretary of State Colin Powell to make maximum efforts to revive the political aspect of the peace process, so as to end the "chain of violence" and derive maximum benefit from the Mitchell Committee report.
Burns reportedly called the report a gate to the revival of the Middle East peace process, based on UN resolutions 242 and 338, and on the principle of land for peace.
The US envoy, said the paper, expressed satisfaction with the results of the meetings with Arab leaders on his first tour of the Gulf region, adding that the United States appreciated the wisdom and advice of those Arab leaders – Albawaba.com
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