Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, H H Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, speaks during a news conference at the 41st Summit of GCC, in Al-Ula yesterday.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, H H Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, has affirmed that the 41st session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Al-Ula Governorate, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, acquired great importance as it raised the supreme interests of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) system and Arab national security.
He said that the Summit sent a message to the whole world that regardless of the differences in the same house, the leaders of the GCC countries are able to overcome all of them.
In the joint press conference with H E Dr. Nayef bin Falah Al Hajraf, Secretary-General of the GCC, at the conclusion of the GCC Summit, the Saudi Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation for what had been achieved yesterday with the signing of the Al-Ula statement, a new page in order to achieve security and stability in the region for its peoples, away from all the past causes and troubles, pointing out that the Al-Ula statement emphasised the close and established ties and relations of the GCC states that are based on the Islamic faith and a common destiny.
He said that this calls on these countries to work to consolidate these relations and give priority to their supreme interests, in a way that strengthens the bonds of friendship and brotherhood among their peoples, establishes the principles of good neighbourliness and mutual respect, achieves the highest aspects of cooperation between them in various fields, and avoids any obstacles that may prevent their solidarity and cooperation.
He pointed out that the States affirmed their solidarity in not infringing any member state’s sovereignty or threatening their security, or targeting the national cohesion of their peoples and their social fabric in any way, and their complete stand in the face of what violates the national and regional security of any of them, and their solidarity in the face of any direct or indirect interventions in the internal affairs of any of them, and strengthening cooperation to combat terrorist entities and organisations that undermine their security and target their stability.
H H Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah stated that the Al-Ula Declaration included the commitment of the states parties to end all relevant issues, based on their keenness to maintain the continuity of the contents of the statement, and to strengthen cooperation through bilateral discussions and coordination between them, especially in the areas of combating terrorism and crimes. “What was achieved today would not have been possible without the wisdom of the leaders of the GCC countries and the tireless efforts made by the good means by the sisterly country Kuwait, with the support of the United States of America.”
He said the Summit’s title was openness and reconciliation, and it led to closing the page of the past and looking forward to a future dominated by cooperation and respect among all participating countries in a way that preserves their security and stability, adding that the leaders and heads of the GCC delegations discussed the topics on the agenda.
In response to a question about what was agreed upon in the Summit, the Saudi Foreign Minister said: “What happened today is a complete folding of the points of disagreement, a complete return to diplomatic relations, and all that serves relations between the member states and the Republic of Egypt, and it will be a strong and important building block for the future and stability of the region.”
He added that the agreement will support the unified Arab position, and any agreement that increases the power of the countries of the region in cooperation, coordination and collective action will support stability in the region, and support for solving the problems that exist in the face of the great challenges that threaten regional security in the Gulf and Arab national security in general. “We will now work as one system together to face all these risks facing the region, and we will cooperate in solving and dealing with them.”
In response to another question about mechanisms and guarantees for the implementation of what was agreed upon at the Summit, H H Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said: “We have only reached this agreement with the presence of a real will among the leaders to solve this problem and ensure real cohesion that supports the stability of the region, and supports our ability to confront the challenges. We are very optimistic that this agreement is a very important step towards stability and to the success of the Gulf countries, Egypt and the region in general. What we have witnessed today through the meeting and in the previous days of good intentions, cooperation, consensus and positive communication between the leaderships makes us confident that this agreement will have complete sustainability and will be a building block in strengthening Arab construction. “
