Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, will co-host the ninth ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in Brussels on Monday, alongside Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Priveaux. Kallas will deliver a general opening address, according to a statement issued by the European External Action Service in Brussels. The statement added that in the afternoon, Kallas will co-host the ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in Brussels, alongside Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. A joint press conference will be held with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

The ministerial meeting is considered a significant event in the ongoing efforts to promote a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. The meetings aim to translate the commitments made at the New York conference into concrete, time-bound, and irreversible measures to ensure the establishment of the political, economic, and security foundations for an independent, sovereign, and democratic Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security. Last September, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, in conjunction with the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway, co-chaired the high-level ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Prince opened the meeting by saying: “We are meeting one year after launching our joint initiative – the Global Coalition for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution – which the Kingdom is honored to co-chair with the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway, and just days after the General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration, which represents a historic international consensus to end the occupation and achieve the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”

Referring to the New York Declaration, Prince Faisal emphasized that it constitutes a clear mandate for all parties to translate the consensus into time-bound commitments and follow-up mechanisms, stressing that: “Issuing statements is not enough unless they are translated into concrete actions that change the reality of the occupation and its aggression.” Prince Faisal explained that the meeting followed the peace summit co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France, which resulted in widespread recognition of the State of Palestine, thus strengthening international will to affirm the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. He emphasized that "the reality of the occupation is constantly escalating to the point of genocide, starvation, and violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites, and even reaching the level of attacks on the sovereignty of Arab states, the latest of which was the targeting of the State of Qatar."

He also affirmed that the meeting's objective was to coordinate efforts, establish implementation mechanisms, define progress indicators, and ensure accountability, while continuing joint action in regional and international capitals.

Prince Faisal stressed that the New York Declaration affirms that "Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, constitute a single, indivisible Palestinian territory," reiterating the categorical rejection of any attempts at annexation, settlement expansion, or forced displacement. He also emphasized the necessity of empowering the Palestinian Authority, supporting the Arab and Islamic recovery and reconstruction plan, and establishing an international accountability mechanism with clear timelines. He also reaffirmed that the Kingdom will continue to tirelessly lead its diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to achieve the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.

This alliance was initiated by the former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, who stated on the sidelines of the meeting in November 2024 that he would not have left his post without arranging this meeting, which was hosted by the European Union and Belgium, one of the EU member states that supports the two-state solution.