The ambassador stressed the need for the United Nations and the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to oblige the Israeli occupation authorities to comply with international resolutions and laws to end its occupation and complete withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan and Lebanon. On the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, he said that the kingdom welcomes the efforts of the Secretary General of the United Nations to resume political negotiations, reiterating the principled position of the kingdom to support the initiative put forward by the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco for self-government, leading to the granting of autonomy to the Sahara region, which constitutes a constructive option aimed at achieving a realistic and just solution. On another issue, the ambassador said, "We condemn Iran's 48-year occupation of the three islands: Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which are an integral part of the territory of the United Arab Emirates. We support the UAE's legitimate right to sovereignty over the islands and its demand that Iran return the islands to their owners. We also support the UAE's sincere calls for Iran to resolve this issue peacefully through direct negotiations, or the International Court of Justice." --SPA 03:53 LOCAL TIME 00:53 GMT 0049 www.spa.gov.sa/w1186063