DOHA, Oct 3: Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al- Hamad Al-Sabah on Thursday stringently criticized the international community over its silence on the ongoing genocidal war against the Palestinian people. Addressing the third summit of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), held in Doha under the theme: “Sports Diplomacy”, Sheikh Sabah Khaled explained that this world inaction is due to double standards regarding the enforcement of international law and international humanitarian law. Citing the Palestinian issue as a key challenge haunting the Asian continent, he regretted that the State of Palestine, which is a member of this forum, has been under blatant aggression by Israeli occupation forces for nearly a year, which has now claimed the lives of more than 41,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

In this context, he restated Kuwait’s emphatic condemnation and denunciation of this continued aggression on Palestine, echoing the call on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), to live up to its due responsibility by stopping this aggression immediately. He underlined that it is essential to keep standing up with the Palestinian people and their just cause and self-determination, chiefly an independent Palestinian statehood on the June 4, 1967 border, with Jerusalem being its capital. His Highness the Amir’s representative stressed that failure to bring Israel, which is an occupying force, to accountability has emboldened it to commit more crimes and expand its aggression, a thing which “we have already warned of and its consequences on the region’s countries”.

He cited the heinous aggression on Lebanon, where Israeli occupying forces have killed hundreds of people and injured thousands in a blatant breach of all international norms and laws,’ as clear-cut and unequivocal paradigm in this regard. His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled reiterated the vehement condemnation and denunciation of such crimes, a standing side by side with the Lebanese people against anything that could undermine their country’s sovereignty and stability. '

In this context, he called on the Asian continent to come up with a decisive and open stance defending justice, human conscience, the right of the peoples of Palestine and the region to freedom, dignity and peace. Regarding the third summit of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), His Highness the Amir’s representative said: “Our summit, held today under the theme: ‘Sports Diplomacy’, is considered a significant tool in public diplomacy and some sort of soft power that is able to bring together all peoples, communities and culture.” He underlined that sports is a crucial way of attaining peace and development, and contributing to inculcating and disseminating the values of cooperation, tolerance, solidarity and people-to-people peaceful coexistence. He cited Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a significant model of the concept, purposes and noble goals of sports diplomacy thanks to its eye-catching success in brining together peoples, cultures and languages all over the world, as well as in promoting Gulf, Arabic and Islamic culture. Looking forward to Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, he hoped that major regional and international sports gatherings hosted by Asian countries would lead to manifesting the continent’s rich cultural diversity to the entire world.

Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir’s Representative emphasized that all Asian countries must work together effectively and decisively to address today’s enormous security, political, economic, social and climate challenges and risks, chiefly including diseases, abject poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. However, he said the continent abounds in stupendous human and financial potential and resources that mark a solid ground for the continent’s countries to defeat various challenges and fulfill their peoples’ expectations and hopes. In this context, he called on Asian countries to capitalize on their geographical, human and economic potential to achieve the ACD’s six goals of connectivity, science technology and innovation, education and human development, food, water and energy security, culture and tourism and sustainable resources development. Sheikh Sabah Khaled boasted that the State of Kuwait, since having joined the ACD, has committed itself to working with the member states to upgrade dialogue to broader horizons by hosting the first summit in 2012, as well as the headquarters of the forum’s general secretariat only out of eagerness to promote pan-Asian cooperation. He concluded by restating Kuwait’s commitment to the principles and goals of the gathering while calling for holding serious and intensive discussions purposed to turn the forum into a regional organization that could address swift challenges and crises the Asian continent is facing. (KUNA)