“Time will not invalidate our sovereignty over them.” The UAE renews its call for Iran to end its occupation of the “three islands”

Dubai, United Arab Emirates Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, renewed her country’s demand for Iran to end its occupation of the three UAE islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, according to what was reported by the Emirati news agency, WAM. Al-Hashemi said in the UAE’s statement, before the annual meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on Saturday evening: “No matter how long this issue lasts, our legitimate right to these islands will remain in place, and time will not invalidate our sovereignty over them, or stop us from demanding their solution, either through direct negotiation or the International Court of Justice. This is the UAE’s consistent position for decades,” according to WAM.

Reem Al Hashemi added: “The UAE chose to make this year the year of sustainability, under the slogan (Today for Tomorrow), in recognition of its responsibilities towards present and future generations that deserve to live in safe, prosperous environments, and in honor of previous generations who spared no effort to advance and develop nations, and out of a desire to preserve planet Earth with its resources and ancient civilizations.” Al-Hashimi pointed to "the importance of maintaining an international system based on respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of states," according to the agency.

She said, “Resorting to force instead of political solutions, and dividing the world with a logic of (for and against), will only result in more chaos and the dispersion of diplomatic efforts,” stressing the need to respect political and developmental difference and diversity. Reem Al Hashemi stressed that “the peaceful path is the best way to deal with crises,” and said: “Our region has been torn apart by force of arms and extremist rhetoric, and we are sparing no effort to reduce the escalation and call for the primacy of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differences. At the same time, we are moving towards strengthening economic interdependence between the countries of the region, as a tool for creating a new reality of integration that will bring regional stability and prosperity.”