Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Shae'q Al-Zindani affirmed on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, that Yemen, under the guidance of President of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi, is committed to advancing Arab cooperation and working together to elevate it in defense of Arab issues and the interests of its people.

Speaking at the 162nd session of the Arab League Council, which he chaired, Al-Zindani stated, "The national and historical responsibility entrusted to collective Arab action compels us to make this session a new starting point for addressing ongoing crises and overcoming all challenges with a purely Arab will."

He emphasized Yemen's dedication to promoting joint Arab efforts and working towards strengthening them to defend Arab causes and the interests of its people.

The minister highlighted the suffering of the Palestinian people, who he said are enduring the 11th month of brutal crimes at the hands of Israeli occupation forces. He stressed the importance of developing a unified Arab plan to mobilize international pressure on Israel to end its crimes in Gaza, the West Bank, and all occupied Palestinian territories. He urged the UN Security Council to provide guarantees for the protection of the Palestinian people.

Al-Zindani called for intensified Arab efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, commending the efforts of Egypt and Qatar to reach an urgent agreement to end the unjust and aggressive war.

Regarding the Yemeni crisis, Al-Zindani pointed out the ongoing efforts of the Yemeni government to achieve peace and stop the escalation by the Houthi group, internationally classified as a terrorist organization. He highlighted the Houthi threats to navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, citing the recent attack on the oil tanker "Sounion" as a ticking time bomb threatening an environmental disaster that will affect Yemen and neighboring countries.

Yemen assumed the rotating presidency of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level, taking over from Mauritania, which held the presidency during the previous session.