The League of Arab States’ “Ministerial Contact Group on Ukraine” met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday in Moscow. They came as a delegation prepared to intervene between Russia and Ukraine. In attendance were the Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi; the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Algeria, Sameh Shoukry and Ramtane Lamamra; and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The group next will meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Warsaw.
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed their concerns that disruption to the importation of wheat is concerning to many of the Arab states. But also, “We must confess that Arab nations have interests and those interests must be defended from the viewpoint of each individual state. But we don’t look at the matter from only an Arab perspective. We see the need to defend peace and stability in the world.” Houssam Zaki, the assistant secretary general of the Arab League traveling with the delegation, specified that they are ready to push forward for a political settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Lavrov reported, after their meeting, that he was able to provide them with a special report on Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, but also discuss bilateral issues, and hold separate meetings on the sidelines. This included expressed concerns by the visitors regarding Palestine, and the situations in Libya, Yemen, and Syria. Lavrov emphasized that the crisis in the Middle East and North Africa “is caused by the aggressive policies of a number of countries, mostly NATO members … [who] continue to destabilize the situation and hinder the sustainable development of the region for the benefit of the people of all countries.”
After providing a lot of details on the Ukraine situation, they discussed the goals of the military operation, and they dealt with “our friends’ many questions, including those about prospects of settling the current situation,” Lavrov reported, referring to their discussion on the consequences of “the West’s absolutely unlawful unprecedented sanctions against Russia. They are dealing a heavy blow to the global economy, including countries that import agricultural produce, fertilizer and many other things that are directly linked with trade and investment ties that involve the Russian Federation.”
