Arab League reaffirms UAE's sovereignty over occupied islands

Cairo - The Council denounced the Iranian government's building of housing facilities on the three occupied islands.

The Arab League has reaffirmed UAE's sovereignty over its three islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa, and reiterated its support for all peaceful means and measures taken by the UAE to restore its sovereignty over the occupied islands.

This came in a resolution issued today at the end of the 149th session of the Arab foreign ministers' council which was held under the presidency of Saudi Arabia.

The Council condemned Iranian government's continued occupation of the three islands and its violation of the sovereignty of the UAE, as aggressive acts that undermine regional security and stability and threaten international peace.

The Council denounced the Iranian government's building of housing facilities in order to accommodate Iranians on the three occupied islands.

The Council also condemned Iranian military exercises in regions which include the UAE islands, their territorial waters, airspace, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of the three islands which are an integral part of the United Arab Emirates, and demanded Iran to stop such violations and provocative acts which constitute interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign, independent state.

''These provocative acts do not help to build confidence, but instead threaten security and stability in the region and endanger the security and safety of regional and international navigation in the Arabian Gulf,'' the resolution stressed.

The Council also hailed the initiatives of the United Arab Emirates and its efforts to find a peaceful and just settlement to the issue of the three occupied islands with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Council reiterated its call on the Iranian government to end the occupation of the UAE islands, to desist from imposing a ''fait accompli'' by force, to stop the establishment of any facilities on the islands with the aim of changing their demographic and population composition, and to cancel all the procedures and remove all the establishments that have been previously carried out by Iran unilaterally on the three islands, considering these measures as void and having no legal standing, and contrary to the provisions of international law and the Geneva Convention of 1949.

The Council expressed its hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran will re-consider its stance of refusing to find a peaceful solution to the issue of the three islands belonging to the United Arab Emirates, either through serious and direct negotiations or by resorting to the International Court of Justice.

It called on Iran to translate its announced desire to improve relations with the Arab countries in dialogue, and remove tension, by taking practical and concrete steps in both word and deed, to respond genuinely to the sincere calls issued by the UAE, GCC and Arab countries, international groups, friendly countries and to the UN Secretary-General of the United Nations, for a solution to the dispute over the three occupied islands by peaceful means in accordance with the norms and conventions and rules of international law through direct negotiations or by referral to the International Court of Justice in order to build confidence and enhance security and stability in the Gulf region.

The Council also stressed the commitment of Arab countries to constantly raise the issue of UAE's three occupied islands during their contacts with Iran, based on the fact that they are occupied Arab territories and notify the UN Secretary-General and President of the UN Security Council to keep the issue on the council's agenda until Iran ends its occupation and the UAE restores its full sovereignty.

The resolution requests the Arab League Secretary General to follow up on this issue and submit a report to the council in its coming session.

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi