Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Lana Zaki Nusseibeh hailed Cyprus' role in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza via the Amalthea corridor. She also said that her country looks forward to further strengthening bilateral cooperation during Cyprus Presidency of the EU.
Nusseibeh visited DP World Limassol terminal, at the port of Limassol Friday, where she was given a tour of the storage areas for the humanitarian aid that her country is sending to Gaza, in cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus, UNOPS and international partners.
'Pragmatic approach to conflict'
She noted in her press statements that the assistance to Gaza wouldn't have come about if the UAE did not have such an important and strategic partnership with the Republic of Cyprus.
"I think this is one of the manifestations of that strategic partnership. Our countries are united by shared values, but also a commitment to regional stability and a very forward-looking and pragmatic vision that places cooperation at the heart of our relationship", she said.
She described Amalthea as one of the most powerful examples of bilateral strategic action and also of the way both countries pragmatically approach conflict in order to try and help those most in need.
"And from the outset of this war two years ago, the corridor has served as a vital lifeline for civilians in Gaza, during an incredibly tragic and immensely painful conflict", Nusseibeh underlined.
Delivering critical aid
Referring to the assumption by Cyprus of the rotating EU Council Presidency, she said that the UAE stands ready to work even more closely with Cyprus across areas of mutual interest from trade and energy to humanitarian action and crisis response.
In her statements she also referred to the Trump plan for redevelopment in Gaza, by and for its people, saying that they welcome its focus on hope and optimism, on reconstruction and economic vitalization.
"Ultimately, we hope this all shores up efforts towards longer term stability and peace between Israel and Palestine and a Palestinian state," she said, adding that at this critical juncture, it is so important that Cyprus has a guaranteed way to safely and transparently deliver critical aid through a coordinated maritime route "that has been tested in practice, and has proven to be successful in dire circumstances".
Amalthea 'modern-day model'
She went on to say that Amalthea humanitarian corridor could become a modern day model for effective humanitarian logistics , pointing out that these fast tracked systems ensure that this aid is pre cleared in Cyprus.
UAE DepMin also noted that so far more than 22,000 tones of assistance have been delivered to Gaza with the UAE consistently being amongst the largest contributors and humanitarian donors.
She also went on to say that her country remains steadfast in its support to Cyprus and the Amalthea initiative and it also welcomes ongoing conversations with Cyprus with the European Union, with the United Nations partners to reactivate and scale up this corridor's capacity under the EU civil protection mechanism.
CNA