The Maldives will always stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people, Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam has said.
The minister made the remarks in a social media post following the conclusion of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as she returned to the Maldives.
Minister Iruthisham travelled to Jeddah on Wednesday to attend the OIC meeting, which was convened at the initiative of Saudi Arabia amid Israel’s open opposition to implementing the Gaza ceasefire roadmap.
At the meeting, Minister Iruthisham represented the Maldives and advocated for the rights of the Palestinian people. She condemned Israel’s continued occupation and blockade of Palestinian territories and expressed concern over the failure to take adequate measures to halt Israel’s unlawful actions and enforce international law against the country.
She stressed that upholding the principles and values of the Islamic Ummah is a responsibility of OIC member states and highlighted the importance of strengthening efforts to find a solution to the Palestinian issue.
The minister also reaffirmed that the Maldives would continue to support efforts to secure justice and rights for the Palestinian people and establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the borders that existed before 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
She further called for the implementation of the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” as a pathway towards a lasting peace.
In her message shared after the meeting, Minister Iruthisham said she was grateful for the opportunity to consult with Islamic countries on protecting the rights of the Palestinian people. She reaffirmed that the Maldives would continue to advocate for and defend the rights of Palestinians without wavering.
On the sidelines of the meeting in Jeddah, the foreign minister also held discussions with her counterparts from several Islamic countries on strengthening bilateral relations between the Maldives and those countries.