On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – God bless him – His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister for Foreign Affairs, delivered a speech by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the opening session of the Arab League Summit Council Meeting as part of 31st regular session. Here is his text:
First of all, we are pleased to congratulate Your Excellency, the Government and the brotherly people of Algeria on the occasion of the (68th) anniversary of the Algerian Liberation Revolution, wishing Your Excellency good health and further progress and prosperity to your country.
We also express our gratitude and appreciation to Your Excellency, the Government and the people of Algeria for the warm welcome and generous hospitality we have extended.
We also thank the Republic of Tunisia, led by His Excellency President Qais Syed, for its efforts to ensure that the work of the previous summit was a success.
We thank His Excellency the Secretary General of the League of Arab States and all of its staff for their valuable efforts, which contribute to the strengthening of common Arab action.
Brothers present
Successive global crises have given rise to common problems that have affected the security and stability of our Arab region and weakened the pace of its economic recovery and development opportunities for its citizens. The recent intensification of international geopolitical competition and conflict threatens to undermine the ability of the international community to effectively face common challenges. All of this requires us to increase coordination and consultation within the Arab House, to put aside our internal divisions and give priority to our common interests, emphasizing the unity of rank and destiny; Be able to confront current and future crises and overcome them. In this context, and in order to support the achievement of the goals of joint Arab action, it is important to take practical and tangible steps, the most notable of which are working to reform the Arab League system and develop its mechanisms of action in order to be more effective in achieving the desired Arab solidarity and the aspirations of the Arab peoples.
Many of our Arab countries are facing a number of challenges that cast a shadow not only on the security and stability of those countries, but also on the region and the region as a whole. To rid our countries of the dangers and turmoil that these problems may entail. Consequently, we emphasize the importance of continued coordination among our Arab countries to strengthen our national and regional security, and reaffirming our total rejection and rejection of the approach to expansion and hegemony at the expense of others, we reaffirm the openness of our Arab country to cooperation and dialogue with all on the basis of principles of mutual respect and common interests, which contributes to strengthening the foundations of cooperation and partnership, achieving the security and prosperity of our countries and peoples, and here we reaffirm our pride in our values derived from our tolerant Islamic law and our authentic Arab culture, from which we do not we refuse and do not allow others to impose their values on us, and because we respect the values and cultures of others, we hope that others will respect that.
The consequences of international crises and conflicts have shown the importance of economic integration between our Arab countries and that we in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia always strive to provide the appropriate conditions for achieving this through cooperation and coordination with our brothers in the Arab countries, and one of our priorities in this aspect is achieving food security, which is one of the highest priorities for many countries of the world, and in this context, the Kingdom emphasizes the importance of collective Arab action and investment in the potential of the Arabian Ocean in terms of natural resources, human resources, biological and food diversity to meet the needs of Arab food markets . In addition, based on our Vision 2030 concept, we aim to promote development in various fields in partnership with our brothers in the Arab countries in a way that contributes to the solution of problems and crises that directly affect Arab citizens, advance our present and strengthen the hope for a better future for our peoples and future generations.
Honorary Members
The Palestinian question will always remain at the center of the concerns of our Arab nation until the Palestinian people achieve the establishment of their independent and sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with resolutions of international legality and the Arab Peace Initiative. The Kingdom also welcomes the results of the meetings hosted by Algeria as part of the reconciliation efforts among the Palestinian factions and hopes that these efforts will lead to unity among the Palestinian ranks.
Regarding the Yemeni issue, the Kingdom continues to support efforts towards peace in Yemen and has made every effort to support the UN envoy in his proposal to extend the truce there, and as we highlight the Houthi militia’s rejection of the UN envoy’s proposal to extend the truce, highlight the importance constant political pressure from the international community and deal with it more seriously and firmly; Achieve a lasting peace in Yemen based on the three references presented by the Gulf Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the results of the Comprehensive Yemeni National Dialogue and relevant Security Council resolutions, including Security Council Resolution (2216). We also stress the importance of providing the necessary support to the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, as well as our interest in the humanitarian situation in Yemen through the provision of humanitarian and development assistance to the Republic of Yemen.
On the Libyan issue, the Kingdom believes that the solution to the dispute between the brothers in Libya stems from the Libyan internal affairs and away from external interference, through the renunciation of violence and the activation of all possible ways of dialogue, until the desired security and stability is achieved.
With regard to the Iraqi question, the Kingdom welcomes the formation of a new Iraqi government and wishes it success and success in realizing the aspirations of the fraternal Iraqi people. The Kingdom declares its unwavering intention to provide all possible support to the Republic of Iraq in order to achieve security, stability and development, and also emphasizes the continued deepening of cooperation and partnership between our two countries in various fields.
With regard to Lebanon, the Kingdom emphasizes the centrality of the sovereignty, security and stability of Lebanon and looks forward to the election of a new President of the Lebanese Republic, who can unite the Lebanese people and work with regional and international actors to overcome the current crisis, implement the provisions of relevant international resolutions, including adopted by the Security Council and the League of Arab States, as well as commitment to the Taif Agreement.
With regard to the situation in Syria, the Kingdom reaffirms its interest in the security and stability of Syria and supports all Arab and international efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria in a way that preserves identity, unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
In the Sudanese question, the Kingdom supports everything that will ensure security and stability in the Sudan and contribute to the reconstruction of its economy and the prosperity of its people. As part of its membership in the Quartet and the Group of Friends of the Sudan, and its support for an international role, the Kingdom is seeking to intensify international efforts to achieve consensus among the political components, leading to a comprehensive political solution. He also pays great attention to the humanitarian aspect, supporting brotherly Sudan.
In conclusion, we hope that the outcome of our meeting today will contribute to the achievement of consensus on the most important issues that concern the countries and peoples of our Arab world, emphasizing the active role of Arab solidarity at the regional and international levels and finding mechanisms through which we can confront the common challenges facing our Arab countries, and to strengthen regional security and stability, including fulfilling the aspirations and hopes of our Arab peoples.
We ask Almighty God to guide our steps and help us all achieve what our countries and peoples aspire to and perpetuate the blessing of security, security, prosperity and prosperity for our Arab countries.