Saudi King Salman has called for a unified international effort to
stop Iran’s support for armed militias, interference in the affairs of
other countries, and its nuclear and ballistic programs.
The King said during the
first EU-Arab League summit
on Sunday being held in Egypt at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh,
that Tehran’s support for the Houthis in Yemen, and other militias in
the region, as well as its aggressive practices and blatant interference
in the affairs of other countries, require a unified international
stance to force Iran to abide by international law.
He
added that the Kingdom stresses the importance of a political solution
to the Yemeni crisis on the basis of the Gulf initiative, the results of
the Yemeni national dialogue, and Security Council resolution 2216.
“The
Kingdom had made great efforts to ensure the success of the Sweden
negotiations and called for the follow-up of the implementation of what
had been agreed upon in those talks and to hold the Iranian-backed
terrorist militias responsible for the situation in Yemen,” the King
said at the summit.
The Saudi monarch also
described the Palestinian issue a priority among Arab countries and
referenced last year’s Arab League Summit in Dhahran which was renamed
the “Jerusalem Summit.”
He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s steadfast position
toward restoring all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
King
Salman said that Saudi Arabia, like many other countries, has suffered
from terrorism and has spearheaded many international efforts to combat
it at all levels. According to the King’s speech, this included efforts
in drying up terror groups’ financial resources and stressing the
importance of continuing joint action against terror financing and money
laundering.
He also spoke on the refugee
and migrant crisis, saying that the displacement of people due to wars
and conflict remained at the top of pressing humanitarian issues.
“We hope that this summit will help to find solutions for them,” the King said.
He
added that Saudi Arabia has provided more than $35 bln in aid to more
than 80 countries in the humanitarian, charitable and developmental
fields.
Note EU-Digest: Unfortunately King Salman during his presentation kept silent, nor give any explanation or excuse for the brutal murder by the Kingdom of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, who is leading an
international human rights inquiry into the murder, visited Turkey
between 28 January and 3 February.
The preliminary report on the inquiry
says Khashoggi "was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing,
planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia".
The Saudi Kingdom also has a very poor record on human rights
Read more at: Saudi King Salman calls for an international stance against Iranian interference - Al Arabiya English
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