Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Nikos Christodoulides discuss the activation of a maritime corridor for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and the importance of international cooperation.
ABU DHABI, March 11, 2024 – The President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, held a phone conversation today with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, His Excellency Nikos Christodoulides. During the discussion, the two leaders addressed bilateral relations between their countries and reviewed recent developments in the region, with a particular focus on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
At the heart of the discussion was the initiative recently announced by an international coalition comprising the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This initiative aims to activate a maritime corridor to urgently deliver humanitarian aid in response to the escalating crisis in Gaza.
The plan builds upon the Amalthea initiative, recently proposed by Cyprus, which establishes a safe mechanism for transporting aid by sea from Cyprus to Gaza. This project is a crucial element of joint efforts to ensure a secure corridor for aid delivery. The participating nations will collaborate with Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations’ senior coordinator for humanitarian affairs and reconstruction in Gaza, who is responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and verifying the flow of aid to the region.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasized the urgent need to establish direct humanitarian corridors – by land, sea, and air – to ensure the seamless delivery of aid to Gaza. He also highlighted the importance of implementing protective measures for these corridors to enable humanitarian organizations to carry out their work effectively and to prevent further suffering for the residents of Gaza.
The President of the UAE reiterated the importance of intensifying regional and international efforts to support a comprehensive and just peace process aimed at ensuring stability in the region, based on the two-state solution. The UAE, he stated, supports all efforts and initiatives aimed at achieving this goal.