Paris, November 23, 2023, The Ministerial Committee appointed by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit, led by Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, convened for an official meeting on Wednesday, November 22, with President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic in Paris.
In the presence of French Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, the meeting brought together members of the Ministerial Committee, including Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Sameh Shoukry, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Riad Malki, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine; Hakan Fidan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye; Retno Marsudi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia; Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the Arab League.
During the meeting, the Ministerial Committee expressed its appreciation for the Egyptian-Qatari-American mediation efforts, which successfully led to a humanitarian truce agreement in the Gaza Strip. The truce, set to commence within 24 hours and last for four days, with the possibility of extension, was welcomed as a crucial step towards de-escalation.
Emphasizing the urgency of moving beyond the humanitarian truce to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire, the Committee called for effective and swift action from the United Nations Security Council and the international community to secure a complete cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
The members of the Committee stressed the importance of establishing secure channels for the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, including food, water, fuel, and electricity to Gaza. Furthermore, they urged the French Republic to play a balanced role in alignment with international and humanitarian laws to facilitate an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and to ensure the implementation of all relevant international resolutions.
