Foreign Minister Affirms the Kingdom's Keenness on Sovereignty and Unity of Arab Territories

Cairo, January 15, 2020, SPA -- Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, affirmed that the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is keen on the unity, sovereignty and integrity of the Arab territories, adding the Kingdom is making efforts to reach political solutions to crises in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Sudan. In his speech in the opening of the 2nd meeting of the 4th session of the Arab Parliament in Cairo, Prince Faisal conveyed greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and the Saudi people to the Speaker and members of the Arab Parliament, stressing the important role of the Arab Parliament in serving the Arab issues. He renewed the condolences of the Arab and Islamic nations on the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman, wishing the Sultanate of Oman steady progress and prosperity under the leadership of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq. The Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the variables and challenges affecting the political, economic and security life in many Arab countries, adding that these expediting events in the Arab region are reflected on the humanitarian, developmental and social aspects of the peoples in the region. He called upon all Arab states to take serious action addressing all threats facing the countries and peoples of the region in order to consolidate security, stability and development. He affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's policy is based on the principles of peaceful coexistence and good neighborliness, full respect for the sovereignty and independence of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and solving disputes by peaceful means within the international law, asserting that these principles are capable of resolving all conflicts and disputes, including the Arab-Israeli conflict. Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah disclosed that the Palestinian Cause is our first issue and attracts the greatest attention in our foreign policies, adding that "we have called and we are still calling for a comprehensive and just solution ensuring a restoration of all Arab occupied territories on the basis of the international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative 2002." He reaffirmed the commitment to peace as a strategic option, stressing that the arbitrary unilateral measures taken by the Israeli occupation are null. "The Kingdom believes that the political solution is the only solution to the Syrian crisis in accordance with the Security Council Resolution No. 2254, the Geneva 1, the support of the UN Special Envoy to Syria," he said, pointing out that the Kingdom has taken, alongside the Arab states, a unified and clear Arab stance towards Turkish military interference in northern Syria. He added that the Kingdom is the largest supporter to solve the crisis in Yemen and to reach a political solution according to the three references: the Gulf initiative, the outcomes of the Yemeni national dialogue, and Security Council Resolution No. (2216), asserting that the Kingdom makes all efforts to support the security and stability of Yemen and to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity in order to alleviate the human suffering caused by this crisis. The Minister of Foreign Affairs indicated that the Kingdom has provided more than USD14.5 billion to assist the people in Yemen, calling upon the international community paying more attention to stop the Iran-backed Houthi militias' missile and drone attacks against the civilian-populated areas, airports, facilities and installations in the Kingdom. He pointed out that the Kingdom will continue its efforts to reach a political solution that will end the Yemeni crisis. With regard to the Libyan crisis, Prince Faisal affirmed that the Kingdom continues to call on the necessity of restraint and supreme interest of Libya via preserving the unity and integrity of the Libyan territories and regional sovereignty in addition to establishing a real national dialogue leading to a comprehensive peace among the Libyan parties. "With regard to Sudan, the Kingdom stood with the brothers to achieve security and stability in Sudan and supported the efforts to bypass this difficult stage. The Kingdom supported the signing of the historic Khartoum political agreement and the formation of the transitional government," he added. Prince Faisal bin Farhan highlighted the Kingdom's great efforts in combating terrorism. He affirmed that the economic side has an active role in strengthening relations among the Arab countries, adding that the Kingdom looks forward to further cooperation in the economic, development and investment fields. --SPA