Minister of Foreign Affairs Holds Series of Meetings to Discuss Situation in Palestine and Strengthen International Support

On the sidelines of her participation in the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Varsen Shahin, held a series of meetings, attended by Palestine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ibrahim Khreisheh.

Minister Shahin met with the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Pierre Krähenbühl, praising the committee's work in the occupied Palestinian territories. She called for intensified efforts to restore regular visits to Israeli prisons to protect Palestinian detainees from violations and illegal Israeli legislation. She also thanked Mr. Krähenbühl for the ICRC's role in returning the remains of some martyrs to Gaza and its ongoing coordination of humanitarian work in the region, emphasizing the importance of joint coordination across all humanitarian activities.

The minister also met with the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Jenbek Kulubaev, where both sides discussed strengthening bilateral relations in education and technical cooperation. Minister Shahin briefed him on the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territory, underscoring the need to maintain the ceasefire and reject policies of annexation and settlement expansion. She expressed gratitude to Kyrgyzstan for its supportive stance toward the Palestinian people in international forums.

In a meeting with Norway's Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, Minister Shahin thanked the Norwegian government and people for their continued political and humanitarian support. She praised Norway's recognition of the State of Palestine in May 2024, its sustained support for UNRWA, and its role in protecting the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. They also discussed the upcoming donors' conference in Norway, aimed at coordinating and mobilizing international support for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, strengthening humanitarian, developmental, and economic stability in Palestine.

Additionally, Minister Shahin met with Hadi bin Ali Al-Yami, Executive Director of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to discuss human rights conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory amid rising Israeli violations. Both sides explored ways to enhance cooperation in legal monitoring and documentation and support accountability at regional and international levels. Al-Yami affirmed that the Palestinian human rights issue remains a priority for the commission, reflecting a firm commitment to supporting the rights of the Palestinian people in international forums.