Syria’s foreign minister has warned that the West is seeking to impose its will on other countries, especially throughout the Middle East. Faisal Mekdad urged Arab countries to use joint action to end challenges the Arab world is facing. 

While speaking in Cairo before the Arab League Council 160th session on Wednesday, Mekdad said that the challenges Arab countries face are threatening Arab security as a whole. 

According to the SANA news agency, the foreign minister added that Arab countries face several common challenges, including foreign occupation of their lands, a decline in development indicators, the spread of terrorism, interference in domestic affairs, military attacks and poverty. Mekdad said that Arab countries have always been in danger from the repercussions of these challenges. 

Syria’s top diplomat warned that the West is seeking to force its own world order concepts on Arab nations while being “aware that such rules contradict our morals and values.”

“This prompts us to reaffirm the need to strengthen joint Arab action in addressing the main issues that concern us and to agree to reform the Arab League and develop the work of its mechanisms through dialogue, transparency, mutual respect and common interests,” he added. 

Mekdad pledged that Syria would continue exercising its natural key role in its Arab surroundings that “constituted an important turning point and the beginning of a new phase of joint Arab action and regional rapprochement for solidarity to serve the countries and peoples of the region.”

The Syrian minister stressed the significance of adherence to the achievements of the Jeddah Summit, boosting sincere cooperation between Arab countries to preserve their security. He said it is necessary to settle the crises within Arab countries without interference from the West and confront interventions from the Turkish military happening throughout Syria.

Mekdad also called for mobilizing international pressure and support on the Israeli government to end the repeated attacks on the occupied Palestinian territories and Damascus that also endangered international security and peace. 

He pointed out that comprehensive and just peace throughout the Middle East could be achieved based on the complete withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Palestinian territories and the occupied Syrian Golan and return to the borders of June 4, 1967, and establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as the capital.