Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip is "not sustainable" in its current form and must be changed to allow more aid through to its Palestinian population, G8 leaders said Saturday.
In a statement issued after their summit in Canada, the heads of the world's major industrialized economies also said they "deeply regret the loss of life" that happened last month when Israel stormed an activist boat off Gaza.
"We urge all parties to work together to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1860 and to ensure the flow of humanitarian and commercial goods and persons, to and from Gaza," the final communiqué said.
"The current arrangements are not sustainable and must be changed," it said, welcoming the Israeli government's decision to loosen some of the controls it imposes on goods traffic in and out of the territory. "We urge full and effective implementation of this policy in order to address the needs of Gaza's population for humanitarian and commercial goods, civilian reconstruction and infrastructure, and legitimate economic activity." The statement also said Israel's "legitimate security concerns must continue to be safeguarded."
The G8 leaders meanwhile called on Iran to hold a "transparent dialogue" over its nuclear program. "We are profoundly concerned by Iran's continued lack of transparency regarding its nuclear activities and its stated intention to continue and expand enriching uranium, including to nearly 20 percent," the communiqué said.
"Our goal is to persuade Iran's leaders to engage in a transparent dialogue about its nuclear activities and to meet Iran's international obligations," the leaders of the Group of Eight richest nations said in their statement. They also welcomed all efforts to rein in the Islamic Republic's suspect uranium enrichment program, making special note of efforts to broker a deal by Brazil and Turkey.
They condemned the sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on North Korea. "We deplore the attack on March 26 that caused the sinking of the Republic of Korea's naval vessel, the Cheonan, resulting in tragic loss of 46 lives," the communiqué said.
Recalling that a multinational investigation had found that Pyongyang was to blame for the attack that sank the ship, the G8 leaders condemned the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan. "We demand that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea refrain from committing any attacks or threatening hostilities against the Republic of Korea."
[Source: Al-Manar TV]
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