A delegation of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers met with their Nordic and Benelux counterparts to urge them to put greater pressure on Israel in the effort to end the conflict against Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, reports Hürriyet Daily News.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, Qatari Foreign Minister Jassim al Thani, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Hussein Brahim Taha paid a visit to Norway for talks with foreign ministers of Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway and the state secretary of Finland’s foreign ministry on Dec. 15.
The Nordic and Benelux countries play an important role in providing humanitarian aid and international law. Hürriyet Daily News points out that Denmark, Finland and Sweden, which have not backed Palestine in an October vote at the UN General Assembly, changed their position and voted in favor of ceasefire on Dec. 12 vote at the UN General Assembly. The Netherlands abstained in the same vote. The delegation discussed with them the need to support a ceasefire and the necessity to work for a Palestinian state as the only solution to the conflict.
