(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The Federal Cabinet on Sunday underlined the importance of historic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and UAE's keenness to further enhance and develop these ties for the best interests of peoples of the two countries in a way that guarantees stability in the region.
The Cabinet meeting was chaired by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
In accordance with UAE's keenness to maintain good neighbourly relations with Islamic Republic of Iran, the UAE Cabinet stressed the importance of settling the dispute about the three UAE islands (Abu Mousa, the Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb) through peaceful diplomatic channels or under the umbrella of the international law - an approach the UAE had always adopted.
The Cabinet pointed out that UAE's call on Iran to settle this issue through direct bilateral negotiations or through the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stems from its peaceful diplomatic approach. In this regard, the UAE Cabinet reiterated its belief that a balanced peaceful approach in dealing with Iran is essential to bolstering future relations and surpassing issues that hinder development of ties between the peoples and countries of the region.
Meanwhile, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi has expressed concern about the tensions triggered by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's visit to UAE's Abu Mousa island on April 11. The Italian minister appreciated the moderate reaction of the UAE authorities to the issue.
"Italy wishes a peaceful solution of the pending disputes between Abu Dhabi and Tehran through dialogue and negotiation," the minister concluded.
Reacting to the islands issue France said on Sunday that it attaches great importance to stability and security in the region. The spokesperson of French Foreign Ministry, Bernard Valero, said: "We regret any initiative which is likely to create tension as has been the case for example the recent visit of the Iranian president to the Abu Mousa island. Unilateral actions that aggravate the situation should be avoided."
"Now what do we observe in this case? We note that there are two attitudes. The first is that of Iran who made statements or provocations, such as the visit of Ahmedinejad to the island of Abu Mousa. And the other attitude is of the UAE that is offering a peaceful approach to resolve the islands issue through direct negotiations or recourse to the ICJ," he added.
When asked that Iran had repeatedly said that it intended to deploy missiles and heavy weapons on the islands that are occupied since 1971, the spokesperson said: "No, I do not have precise information on this aspect but I think that it is not through missiles that we can solve this type of problem. This should be settled through a peaceful approach within the framework of international law, through direct negotiations or recourse to international tribunals like the ICJ, but not with missiles."
