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Arab Parliament Lauds Saudi Initiative to Provide Vaccines to Poor Countries

Arab Parliament Lauds Saudi Initiative to Provide Vaccines to Poor Countries
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Arab Parliament Lauds Saudi Initiative to Provide Vaccines to Poor Countries

Arab Parliament Lauds Saudi Initiative to Provide Vaccines to Poor Countries

The Arab Parliament hailed Thursday the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for negotiating with companies producing COVID-19 vaccines with an aim to provide them to low-income countries, such as Yemen and African states.

President of the Arab Parliament Adel bin Abdulrahman Al-Asoumi said the Saudi initiative, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, is an extension of the Saudi humanitarian role to support friendly countries impacted by the pandemic.

The Kingdom, "as an active member of the international community, continues to play a humanitarian role by extending aid to countries devastated by wars and natural catastrophes,” he said.

The head of the Arab Parliament also praised the efforts of the Saudi government, led by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in facing the coronavirus pandemic, and its transparency in announcing the daily infections, in addition to the Saudi sense of responsibility to protect all citizens, including nationals and residents.

He also praised the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) for its role in achieving worldwide peace, ensuring support for affected groups and working to alleviate human sufferings.

A day earlier, Asoumi commended projects implemented by the Kingdom to help refugees, as well as services that KSrelief provides for Yemenis living in camps.

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Syria's New Rulers Urge US to Lift Sanctions During Visit to Doha

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
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Syria's New Rulers Urge US to Lift Sanctions During Visit to Doha

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)

Syria's new rulers said on Sunday that US sanctions on Syria were an obstacle to the war-torn country's rapid recovery and urged Washington to lift them during a visit by Syrian officials to Qatar.

"These sanctions constitute a barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people who await services and partnerships from other countries," Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani told reporters after meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister.

"We reiterate our calls for the United States to lift these sanctions, which have now become against the Syrian people rather than what they previously were: imposed sanctions on the Assad regime," he said.

Shibani, on his second foreign trip less than a month after former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by opposition factions on Dec. 8, said that Qatar will be a partner in the new phase in Syria.

Doha had not normalized ties with Assad over his government's violent response to 2011 protests and backed the opposition instead.

Shibani, who was joined by Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Head of Intelligence Anas Khattab, met with other senior Qatari officials including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, a Qatari official told Reuters earlier.

Shibani presented the Qataris a clear roadmap for the near future in Syria and steps that would be taken by the new Syrian administration, Al-Khulaifi told reporters after the meeting.

"We are working together to prevent any foreign interference in Syrian affairs," Al-Khulaifi added.

Shibani said the roadmap is meant to "rebuild our country, restore its Arab and foreign relations, enable the Syrian people to obtain their civil and basic rights, and present a government that the Syrian people feel it represents them and all their components."

He is expected to also visit the United Arab Emirates and Jordan this week to "support stability, security, economic recovery and build distinguished partnerships," according to his account on X.

Shibani embarked on his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday where Saudi officials discussed how best to support Syria's political transition.