Saudi Arabia Urges Solidarity to Address Illegal Migration

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Urges Solidarity to Address Illegal Migration

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom’s support to United Nations efforts in tackling security challenges and their impact on development.

It underlined statements made by Riyadh at the International Conference on Development and Migration, which was held in Rome, when it called on the international community to play its role in tackling these issues.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The government renewed Saudi Arabia’s strong condemnation of the repeated desecration of Islamic sanctities in Sweden and Denmark.

Such acts are flagrant violations of all laws and norms and contradict international efforts aimed at spreading values of tolerance and moderation and shunning extremism, it added.

The cabinet was briefed on the talks Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman held with several world leaders in recent days.

The talks underscore the Kingdom’s keenness on bolstering communication and consultations with countries across the globe.

The cabinet hailed the outcomes of the 18th Consultative Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the GCC-Central Asia Summit that were chaired and hosted by Saudi Arabia.

The cabinet hoped that the outcomes of the GCC-Central Asia Summit would boost joint Gulf work and consolidate relations between the peoples and countries of the two regions to strengthen regional and international security and stability and support collective efforts in confronting international challenges.

The cabinet reviewed Saudi Arabia’s participation at the UN High-Level Political Forum 2023, which highlighted the Kingdom's progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in line with Vision 2030. The Kingdom underlined its progress in health care, diversification of its economy, and achievements and projects aimed at building a prosperous and sustainable future.

The cabinet hailed the Kingdom’s contribution to international efforts in fighting the effects of climate change and reducing emissions by diversifying the energy mix used and promoting the use of clean technologies.



French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Option Ineffective in Israel-Iran Conflict 

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Option Ineffective in Israel-Iran Conflict 

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave said Paris believes that military intervention will not resolve the “problem” over Iran’s nuclear program.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said such a solution was “ineffective” because it cannot completely eliminate Iran’s nuclear knowledge or ensure the complete destruction of all of its nuclear facilities.

Moreover, he warned against attempts to change the Iranian regime from the outside, saying it may have dire consequences, such as the collapse of the state, civil war, instability, regional conflicts, migration crises and raise terrorism threat levels.

This instability may also impact the security of the Gulf region and extend to Europe as well, he warned.

Damage to Iran’s nuclear sites may lead to dangerous radiation in the region that may spread to other regions, including Gulf waters, he went on to say.

Furthermore, military intervention will pose major dangers to regional stability, the security of France’s partners and allies in the region, and the Hormuz Strait. It may lead to attacks on American military bases and energy infrastructure, warned Maisonnave.

A diplomatic solution is the best way forward, he stressed, explaining that it will lead to a viable and permanent solution that enjoys international backing. This solution must tackle technical issues, such as enrichment levels. It also averts the grave consequences of military escalation.

A diplomatic solution must ensure that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are allowed to tour nuclear facilities at any time and without prior notice, he added.

This is the path that France chose in the past and that it believes is the best way to reach a permanent and peaceful solution, he stressed.

At the same time, the ambassador acknowledged that the Iranian nuclear program was a dangerous threat to French and European security interests, as well as to countries of the Gulf given its potential to destabilize the region and the “security of our allies”.

This concern deepened after IAEA inspectors were for years unable to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, he remarked.

France and European countries are very concerned that the program was not designed with purely civilian purposes, Maisonnave said.