Assertion Of The UAE
Throughout all of the United Arab Emirates, demonstrations and protests were staged against the Iranian military occupation of the Island of Greater Tunb and lesser Tunb at the end of November 1971, as well as to the deployment of Iranian forces in that part of Abu Musa Island assigned to it in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding. The demonstrations denounced the Iranian occupation of the Islands and demanded that Britain should protect the territory of the Emirates in compliance with the agreements that were in force between the two counters. The British Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing its displeasure and regret at what had happened and for the loss of human lives.
Since its inception on 2nd December 1971, the UAE utilized every channel on the Arab and international levels, to affirm its sovereignty over the Islands, appealing to the international community to urge Iran to end its occupation and withdraw from the Islands:- On 16th December 1971 the UAE, together with other Arab countries, requested the Secretary-General of the league of Arab states to contact Iran on the highest official level to reconsider the measures it had taken with respect official level to reconsider the measures it had taken with respect to the Islands.
- On the 9th December 1971, the U.N. Security Council held a meeting to discuss the conflict upon the request of the UAE and a number of other Arab countries. In that meeting, the UAE rejected the Iranian occupation of the Islands and stressed its sovereignty over the Islands (Document S/PV, 1610 dated 9 December 1971).
- On 17 July 1972, the UAE and a number of other countries submitted a letter to the president of the Security Council in which they stressed the Arab character of the Islands, and affirmed that the Islands were an integral part of the UAE (Document S/10740 dated 18 July 1972).
- On 5 October 1972, the UAE asserted before the 27 Session of the General Assembly that it only recognizes its own sovereignty over the Islands. (Document No.A/PV/2055 dated 5 October 1972).
- On 20 February 1974, the UAE affirmed in a statement before the Security Council that it recognizes no other sovereignty over those Islands, but its own. It also stressed that in order to maintain stability in the Gulf; the states of the region must cooperate amongst themselves, respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolve their disputes through peaceful means. (Document No. S/PV 1763 20 February 1974).
- On 19 November 1975, the UAE affirmed before the Special
Political Committee of the United Nations that it recognizes no other sovereignty over the Islands but its own, (Document A/C. I/PV. 2092 dated 19 November 1975).
- On the 6th of August 1980, the Foreign Minister of the UAE
submitted a letter to the sovereignty of the UAE over the three Islands. The letter was later distributed as an official document of the Security Council and General Assembly.
- On 1 December 1980, the UAE sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in which it reiterated its position, and underlined its right to full sovereignty of the three Islands.
The UAE has continuously affirmed its sovereignty over the Islands, and demanded Iran’s withdrawal there from. Due to the exceptional circumstances engulfing the region during the last decade as reflected by the Iran-Iraq war, coupled with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the UAE has pursued a policy of patience, pending the change of those circumstances. The UAE was also motivated by its desire to spare the region increased tension and had hoped that Iran would appreciate its peaceful position and rectify the situation resulting from Iran’s occupation of the Islands. Unfortunately, Iran’s response in this regard was neither promising nor reassuring.
As a token of good faith and sincere desire to resolve this matter, the UAE Foreign Minister made several contacts with Iranian officials. The Government of the UAE welcomed the holding of a meeting in Abu Dhabi between the representatives of the two Governments on 27-28 September 1992.
At the said meeting the UAE delegation requested Iran to:
1) Terminate its military occupation of the Islands of Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb.
2) Commit its self to respect the provisions of the 1971 Memorandum of Understanding with respect to the Island of Abu Musa.
3) Refrain from intervening in any way or under any circumstances of under any pretext in the U A E’s exercise of its complete jurisdiction over its sector of Abu Musa Island.
4) Revoke all steps and measures, which it imposed on the
government organs on the Island of Abu Musa and on the citizens of the state and on the expatriates who work there.
5) Indicate a suitable framework to resolve the question of sovereignty over the Island of Abu Musa within a specified period of time.
However, no progress was made during those bilateral negotiations owing to Iran’s adamant rejection to discuss the termination of its military occupation, and its equally adamant opposition to submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice as suggested by UAE. Motivated by its long standing commitment to resolve this dispute through peaceful means, the Foreign Minister of the UAE has affirmed before the 47th Session of the U.N. General Assembly on 30 September 1992, its readiness to settle the dispute peacefully on the basis of Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, In his statement, the Foreign Minister appealed to the Islamic Republic of Iran to follow the same path and commit itself to the principles of international law, and rules that govern international relations.
Throughout all of the United Arab Emirates, demonstrations and protests were staged against the Iranian military occupation of the Island of Greater Tunb and lesser Tunb at the end of November 1971, as well as to the deployment of Iranian forces in that part of Abu Musa Island assigned to it in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding. The demonstrations denounced the Iranian occupation of the Islands and demanded that Britain should protect the territory of the Emirates in compliance with the agreements that were in force between the two counters. The British Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing its displeasure and regret at what had happened and for the loss of human lives.
Since its inception on 2nd December 1971, the UAE utilized every channel on the Arab and international levels, to affirm its sovereignty over the Islands, appealing to the international community to urge Iran to end its occupation and withdraw from the Islands:- On 16th December 1971 the UAE, together with other Arab countries, requested the Secretary-General of the league of Arab states to contact Iran on the highest official level to reconsider the measures it had taken with respect official level to reconsider the measures it had taken with respect to the Islands.
- On the 9th December 1971, the U.N. Security Council held a meeting to discuss the conflict upon the request of the UAE and a number of other Arab countries. In that meeting, the UAE rejected the Iranian occupation of the Islands and stressed its sovereignty over the Islands (Document S/PV, 1610 dated 9 December 1971).
- On 17 July 1972, the UAE and a number of other countries submitted a letter to the president of the Security Council in which they stressed the Arab character of the Islands, and affirmed that the Islands were an integral part of the UAE (Document S/10740 dated 18 July 1972).
- On 5 October 1972, the UAE asserted before the 27 Session of the General Assembly that it only recognizes its own sovereignty over the Islands. (Document No.A/PV/2055 dated 5 October 1972).
- On 20 February 1974, the UAE affirmed in a statement before the Security Council that it recognizes no other sovereignty over those Islands, but its own. It also stressed that in order to maintain stability in the Gulf; the states of the region must cooperate amongst themselves, respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolve their disputes through peaceful means. (Document No. S/PV 1763 20 February 1974).
- On 19 November 1975, the UAE affirmed before the Special
Political Committee of the United Nations that it recognizes no other sovereignty over the Islands but its own, (Document A/C. I/PV. 2092 dated 19 November 1975).
- On the 6th of August 1980, the Foreign Minister of the UAE
submitted a letter to the sovereignty of the UAE over the three Islands. The letter was later distributed as an official document of the Security Council and General Assembly.
- On 1 December 1980, the UAE sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in which it reiterated its position, and underlined its right to full sovereignty of the three Islands.
The UAE has continuously affirmed its sovereignty over the Islands, and demanded Iran’s withdrawal there from. Due to the exceptional circumstances engulfing the region during the last decade as reflected by the Iran-Iraq war, coupled with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the UAE has pursued a policy of patience, pending the change of those circumstances. The UAE was also motivated by its desire to spare the region increased tension and had hoped that Iran would appreciate its peaceful position and rectify the situation resulting from Iran’s occupation of the Islands. Unfortunately, Iran’s response in this regard was neither promising nor reassuring.As a token of good faith and sincere desire to resolve this matter, the UAE Foreign Minister made several contacts with Iranian officials. The Government of the UAE welcomed the holding of a meeting in Abu Dhabi between the representatives of the two Governments on 27-28 September 1992.
At the said meeting the UAE delegation requested Iran to:
1) Terminate its military occupation of the Islands of Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb.
2) Commit its self to respect the provisions of the 1971 Memorandum of Understanding with respect to the Island of Abu Musa.
3) Refrain from intervening in any way or under any circumstances of under any pretext in the U A E’s exercise of its complete jurisdiction over its sector of Abu Musa Island.
4) Revoke all steps and measures, which it imposed on the
government organs on the Island of Abu Musa and on the citizens of the state and on the expatriates who work there.
5) Indicate a suitable framework to resolve the question of sovereignty over the Island of Abu Musa within a specified period of time.
However, no progress was made during those bilateral negotiations owing to Iran’s adamant rejection to discuss the termination of its military occupation, and its equally adamant opposition to submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice as suggested by UAE. Motivated by its long standing commitment to resolve this dispute through peaceful means, the Foreign Minister of the UAE has affirmed before the 47th Session of the U.N. General Assembly on 30 September 1992, its readiness to settle the dispute peacefully on the basis of Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, In his statement, the Foreign Minister appealed to the Islamic Republic of Iran to follow the same path and commit itself to the principles of international law, and rules that govern international relations.
No comments:
Post a Comment