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Multinational Air Exercise Kicks of in Greece with Participation of Royal Saudi Air Force

The multinational air exercise INIOCHOS 2024 started at Andravida Air Base in Greece - SPA
The multinational air exercise INIOCHOS 2024 started at Andravida Air Base in Greece - SPA
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Multinational Air Exercise Kicks of in Greece with Participation of Royal Saudi Air Force

The multinational air exercise INIOCHOS 2024 started at Andravida Air Base in Greece - SPA
The multinational air exercise INIOCHOS 2024 started at Andravida Air Base in Greece - SPA

The multinational air exercise INIOCHOS 2024 started at Andravida Air Base in Greece with the participation of the Royal Saudi Air Force and other air forces of several brotherly and friendly countries, SPA reported.
The commanding pilot of the Saudi team participating in the exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Abdulaziz Al-Harbi, said that the Air Force is participating with the Typhoon aircraft system with all its air, technical, and support crews, noting the preparations that preceded the exercise during the past months to make the most of its output for all crews.
The lieutenant colonel explained that the exercise aims to raise the level of readiness and combat efficiency of the participating Air Force personnel to qualify them to carry out the tasks assigned to them, to train them to operate far from the main bases, and to enhance their skills by flying in a different environment and topography in the presence of different systems and capabilities.
Al-Harbi stressed that several diverse combat air operations will be carried out with the participation of planning cells and command of air missions and campaigns, in addition to missions of forward intelligence and air control during close air-support operations.

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Arab-Western Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh to Discuss Syria

Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
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Arab-Western Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh to Discuss Syria

Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

Riyadh hosted on Sunday a meeting bringing together foreign ministers from Arab and Western countries, as well as representatives of international and UN organizations, to discuss the situation in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime last month.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Asaad Al-Shibani, the foreign minister of Syria’s new administration, will attend the meeting, alongside UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen and Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Ahead of the broader discussions with European counterparts and representatives of participating organizations, Arab foreign ministers will hold a separate meeting to address the Syrian crisis, the same sources revealed.

The US State Department announced in a statement that Under Secretary of State John Bass will attend the multilateral meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia, to coordinate international support for the Syrian people.

The statement added that Bass will hold bilateral meetings during his visit to Riyadh from January 11-13 to discuss key regional and global priorities with Saudi and other international partners.

The Syrian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ayman Sousan, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s significant regional and global influence, emphasizing its “immense potential to assist Syria in overcoming the current challenges.”

Sousan, in a previous interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, praised the ongoing efforts led by the Kingdom under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the supervision of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He noted that Saudi Arabia have consistently extended assistance to Syrians since the start of the crisis in 2011, even when the previous regime obstructed aid delivery to manipulate its distribution.

The Kingdom has been delivering humanitarian aid to Syria in recent days via land and air bridges. These shipments include food, shelter, and medical supplies, aiming to alleviate the dire conditions faced by the Syrian people.

The aid efforts “have no set ceiling,” according to Saudi officials, and will remain in place until their goals of stabilizing the humanitarian situation are achieved, in line with directives from the Saudi leadership.

The Riyadh meeting follows a gathering held in Aqaba, Jordan, in mid-December, when the Ministerial Contact Committee on Syria reaffirmed its commitment to standing by the Syrian people and providing support during this critical period.

The committee, established by the Arab League, includes representatives from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the League’s Secretary-General, and the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain (the current chair of the Arab Summit), and Qatar.

The committee stressed the importance of a comprehensive and peaceful political transition in Syria, involving all political and social forces, including women, youth, and civil society. They emphasized that this process must be fair, inclusive, and guided by UN and Arab League principles, specifically UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The Aqaba meeting also featured the participation of foreign ministers from Türkiye, France, and the United States.