UAE- Iran should act for peace with GCC: paper

ABU DHABI 17th February 2016 (WAM) -- The UAE believes in coexistence and is committed to play a positive role in ushering peace and security in the region commented a UAE daily.

"In the same spirit the UAE has called on Iran to make a serious commitment to act as a responsible member of the world community" said the Khaleej Times in an editorial on Wednesday.

"The Emirates had conveyed a similar message to other nations and has committed troops and resources to fight Daesh in Syria Iraq and Libya. It has also been part of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition to oust the rebels in Yemen. Tehran's support to the Houthis rebels in Yemen to extremists in Iraq and Syria as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon has led to fragmentation and upheavals. It has not only split the Muslim world on sectarian lines but has also led to unrest and warfare across the region.

The UAE's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Lana Zaki Nusseibeh said that a major cause of instability in the Middle East was the "rise in the rampant use of force against the territorial integrity sovereignty and political independence of states." Iran's occupation of Thumb islands and its obsession to meddle in the internal affairs of other states such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are cases in point.

The UAE a major trading partner of Iran wants to promote bilateralism. In this very spirit the UAE had welcomed the nuclear agreement of world's major powers with Iran irrespective of the fact that it nursed genuine reservations over it.

The Dubai-based daily concluded "Making a convincing case at the Security Council the UAE envoy illustrated the need to focus on prevention as a key instrument of peacekeeping and on mediation negotiation arbitration and judicial settlement. While Iran is at odds with many of the GCC states the UAE's call for restraint to Iran is qualified and timely."