00:00Mr. President, distinguished President of Colombia, we welcome your participation in
00:07the open debate and thank the Colombian presidency for choosing such an important topic. We thank
00:13the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, for his assessment of the situation in the
00:18region. The Middle East occupies a special place on the world map. The region became
00:25the cradle of great civilizations of antiquity and of all Abrahamic religions. All peoples
00:31who inhabited and inhabit the Middle East have made an invaluable contribution to world
00:37culture, arts and science. And the region has faced many trials. The rule of empires, which
00:45was replaced by indirect confrontation between great powers, a whole series of Arab-Israeli
00:52wars, conflicts related to ideology, land and the wealth of the region. And today, against
01:01the backdrop of unprecedented escalation, the reams of the advent of lasting peace in the
01:06Middle East seem more elusive than ever, unfortunately. The process of redrawing the political map of
01:12the region under pressure from extra-regional players and the assistance of a number of
01:17states within the region continues. Iran, which is a civilization state whose history spans millennia,
01:26stands in the way of the plans of these forces to complete their reformating of the Middle Eastern
01:31political and geographical landscape. For a long time, efforts have been undertaken to create an anti-Iranian camp on the
01:40basis of the Abraham Accords under the pretext of normalizing relations between Arabs and Israel. Russia, in
01:47principle, supports the very idea of strengthening Israel's security. Achieving this goal would be a positive
01:55result for all of us because a stable and strong Israel developing good relations with all of its neighbors is
02:04a
02:04solid guarantee of peace throughout the region. But the question is about the means, which are not always capable of
02:12justifying the goal far from it. What kind of stability can be offered by those who are ready to sacrifice
02:18for this
02:19Palestinian statehood or stability in Iran? This would be false stability, concealing within it conflicts of delayed action.
02:27Those who fanatically intend to return Iran to the Stone Age to destroy the Palestinian political
02:35movement Hamas or the Lebanese Hezbollah do not bring peace or prosperity closer. Quite to the contrary, they only
02:42deepen existing lines of division. And the same line is also the policy of creating buffer zones of security in
02:49Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. We strongly condemn such actions and call on the Israeli authorities to respect the territorial
02:57integrity and sovereignty of its neighbors, including the implementation of the provisions of the
03:021974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement on the Syrian Golan, and compliance with relevant UN Security
03:09Council resolutions. We share the assessments voiced by the Secretary-General about the absence of military
03:15solutions to all the interlinked conflicts in the Middle East. The path forward lies through dialogue and
03:20negotiations. We note positively Antonio Guterres' Secretary-General's
03:26national unified call forces fighting Lebanon, Iran and Gaza, and this confirms the thesis about the
03:32direct independence between these conflicts. In the context, we consider the decision of
03:39Washington to establish a truce with Iran as the only correct one, and we expect that all forces involved
03:44in the current confrontation in the region will adhere to these. Unfortunately, in the recent days, we have
03:51witnessed a fresh potential escalation, and we call on all of the parties to prevent such a scenario.
03:59Mr President, history knows many examples of attempts to ignore the security interests of individual
04:07states, which led to catastrophic consequences for the whole world. Russia believes in the need to resolve the
04:14security interests of the region's problems by collective efforts within the framework of a broad
04:18negotiating process, and we assign a special role here to the Security Council. We can and should
04:25oblige all countries of the region, together with key extra-regional players, to gather together in one
04:30platform to develop common rules for building relations and addressing claims, which will allow agreeing on
04:38the security guarantees for all. It would be possible, then, to begin with narrower formats. Thus, in Russia's
04:45updated concept of ensuring collective security in the Persian Gulf zone, there are practical proposals for
04:52strengthening confidence-building measures in the region, which ultimately should lead to a stable and
04:58conflict-free Middle East open to broad international cooperation. The Security Council should not attempt to impose a
05:07solution beneficial exclusively to one side or directed against any regional state. We adhere to such an approach
05:17also with regard to the settlement of the issues of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime navigation must be
05:24safe throughout the world's oceans. An attempt to impose rules of the game to the advantage of some countries will
05:31inevitably provoke opposition from those who do not agree with them. Common standards must be developed honestly, jointly,
05:42without ultimatums and blackmail. And we are ready to engage in such work. Mr. President, under the conditions of
05:50unprecedented escalation of tensions surrounding Iran, without exaggeration affecting the whole world, we should remember that the
05:57Palestinian issue remains a cornerstone for the entire Middle East. We are not going to dwell in detail on the
06:04actual stalling of Security Council Resolution 2803 in support of President Trump's plan for Gaza. The Council will have a
06:14dedicated meeting on this at the end of the month. But we would only like to point out that the
06:19attempts to discard, as
06:20as allegedly outdated, the international legal basis for the Palestinian settlement, including a well-known
06:25decision passed by the Security Council and the General Assembly, will lead to nothing good. We should focus on
06:32launching direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis for practical discussions of issues of the
06:38final status of the Palestinian territories and the parameters of the two-state formula. Historical justice will prevail
06:46when Palestinians gain the opportunity to create an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with its
06:53capital in East Jerusalem, coexisting in peace and security with Israel. We are open to engagement under such
07:02principles with all constructively-minded partners. I thank you for your attention.
07:06I welcome President Gustavo Petro-Urego chairing today's meeting, and thank Secretary-General
07:13Guterres for his briefing. The Middle East, with its rich history and culture, abundant natural resources,
07:20and great development potentials, nevertheless has long been plagued by turmoil and endured the ravages of war.
07:28At present, the situation in the Middle East remains tense, posing a threat not only to regional peace and
07:34stability, but also directly impacting the global economy and energy security and undermining the common interests of
07:41all countries. The international community should uphold a just position, pool its efforts for peace, and restore
07:49stability to the Middle East, tranquility to its people, and peace to the world at an early date.
07:54I would like to make four points. First, we must adhere to a political settlement and resolve disputes through peaceful
08:02means.
08:03All parties should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, bridge differences through dialogue and
08:11consultation, and refrain from the use or threat of force. The Security Council must fulfill its primary
08:18responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and take active and responsible actions to
08:25promote political settlement to hotspot issues. The situation regarding Iran is at a critical juncture between war and peace.
08:33And a resumption of hostilities serves the interests of no party. We call on all relevant parties to
08:40maintain calm and restraint, cease confrontational actions that could aggravate the conflict, and persist in
08:47resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means. China commands Pakistan for its
08:55mediation role, and supports all parties in achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible,
09:02with a view to restoring peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region at an early date.
09:08The situation between Lebanon and Israel should be de-escalated promptly. We welcome their recent ceasefire announcement,
09:15and urge all relevant parties to immediately cease hostilities, achieve a ceasefire, and end the war.
09:22Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity must be respected, and Israel should withdraw completely from Lebanon.
09:30Second, we must uphold fairness and justice and maintain regional stability through the rule of law at the
09:37international level. A major reason why the hotspot issues in the Middle East have remained unresolved is that
09:44fairness and justice have not been upheld, relevant council resolutions have not been implemented, and
09:50international law has not been respected. The authority of the Security Council in international law must be upheld.
09:58They must not be applied selectively, nor can the world be allowed to revert to the law of the jungle.
10:05The fact that the Palestinian people are unable to realize their legitimate national rights is the
10:10greatest injustice in today's world. The suffering of the Palestinian people must end as soon as possible.
10:16A lasting ceasefire in Gaza must be achieved, and the humanitarian situation must be improved.
10:22The international community should redouble its efforts to implement the two-state solution,
10:27reject any attempt to annex Palestinian territory, and support Palestine in achieving independent statehood
10:34at an early date and its admission as a full member of the United Nations.
10:38Third, we must uphold independence and self-reliance and pursue common security through solidarity and
10:46cooperation. The Middle East has long been mired in turmoil due to its complex historical context
10:52and to the pursuit of geopolitical rivalry by external forces. The fundamental way forward for the
10:58Middle East to move from turmoil to stability lies in freeing itself from major power geopolitical rivalry,
11:05upholding a spirit of independence and self-reliance, embracing a mission of common, comprehensive, cooperative,
11:11and sustainable security, and building through inclusivity and reconciliation a regional security architecture
11:19that accommodates the legitimate concerns of all. The international community should fully respect the historical context
11:25of the Middle East and support the countries and peoples of the region in playing the leading role in advance
11:31sustainable resolution of conflicts. Syria should adhere to the principle of a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process,
11:38steadily advance an inclusive political transition, and resolutely combat terrorism. The Golan Heights is
11:44internationally recognized as occupied Syrian territory, and Israel should fully withdraw from it
11:50as an early date. The Yemen issue may remain unresolved for far too long. We call on all Yemeni parties
11:56to demonstrate
11:57political will, work towards the resumption of the peace process, and strive to achieve reconciliation as soon as possible.
12:03Fourth, we must address both the symptoms and root causes of problems and promote lasting peace and stability through
12:10development and revitalization. Security is a prerequisite for development, and development provides a foundation for security.
12:18The Middle East has long served as a geopolitical crossroads linking Asia, Africa, and Europe, and as an energy engine
12:26for global
12:27economic growth. The international community should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with the countries in the Middle East,
12:36and support their sustainable development based on their different resource endowments.
12:41Efforts should be made to help post-conflict countries with reconstruction, support recovery and humanitarian agencies
12:49in carrying out relief operations, and promote the early economic recovery, and improve livelihoods so as to create
12:56fertile ground for the seeds of peace to take root. We must take a clear stand against protectionism and unilateral
13:04actions,
13:05and resolutely reject any illegal unilateral sanctions imposed outside of the frame of the Council resolutions.
13:13Disruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz have affected the smooth functioning of global production and
13:18supply chains, the international trade order, and energy supply stability. The parties concerned should heed the course of
13:24the international community, take proactive actions, and work toward the early restoration of normal transit through
13:30this international trade. We welcome the UN initiative to establish a dedicated technical mechanism to address the
13:38situation in the Strait of Hormuz and support the UN in playing a greater role.
13:42President, China has always been a builder of peace in the Middle East, a promoter of stability in the region,
13:49and a contributor to its development. We have actively worked for peace in the Middle East.
13:54President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the four propositions on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in
14:01the Middle East, providing direction for addressing the current crisis and easing regional tensions.
14:06We have actively empowered development in the Middle East by pursuing high-quality belt-and-road cooperation,
14:13deepening mutually beneficial cooperation for shared benefit, and contributing to the region's
14:17prosperity and revitalization. China stands ready to work hand-in-hand with the international community
14:22and the countries in the Middle East to make greater efforts towards lasting peace and stability in the region.
14:27I thank you, President.
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