Saudi Arabia, Iraq Agree to Coordinate Stances on Regional, Int’l Affairs

King Salman holds a virtual meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi. (SPA)
King Salman holds a virtual meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Iraq Agree to Coordinate Stances on Regional, Int’l Affairs

King Salman holds a virtual meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi. (SPA)
King Salman holds a virtual meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz held a virtual meeting on Thursday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

The meeting reflects the deep bonds that tie Saudi Arabia and Iraq. A closing statement after the talks underscored these historic ties and hailed their development in recent years. It also underlined the role played by the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council in further strengthening them.

The two sides stressed the importance of expanding bilateral cooperation and bolstering it in various fields, especially politics, security, trade, investment and tourism.

Saudi Arabia hailed the Kadhimi government’s efforts in achieving stability and development in Iraq. Baghdad, for its part, lauded the initiatives Saudi Arabia has offered it in combating the coronavirus pandemic.

On regional developments, both sides agreed to deepen cooperation and coordination in issues of common interest and in a manner that boosts regional security and stability. They stressed the need to steer the region clear of tensions and to pursue factors that consolidate security and stability.

In this regard, Kadhimi expressed Iraq’s support for Saudi Arabia’s new initiative to resolve the crisis in Yemen.

King Salman invited the premier to visit Saudi Arabia soon to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, for talks aimed further strengthening ties between the Kingdom and Iraq.



Chinese Premier: Major Boost in Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Chinese Foreign Ministry)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Chinese Foreign Ministry)
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Chinese Premier: Major Boost in Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Chinese Foreign Ministry)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Chinese Foreign Ministry)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang voiced hopes for China and Saudi Arabia to continue strengthening their development strategies and expand cooperation in various fields.

He also stressed the need to keep deepening ties between the two nations and boost Chinese-Gulf and Chinese-Arab relations. Li made the comments during his official visit to Riyadh, which began on Tuesday.

The premier expressed his pleasure at visiting Saudi Arabia and delivered warm greetings and best wishes to the Saudi government and its welcoming people.

He also noted the strong historical friendship between the two countries, despite their distance.

Li highlighted the long history of Chinese and Arab civilizations, noting their connection through the Silk Road over 2,000 years ago. He said that, over the past 34 years since diplomatic ties were established, both cultures have significantly contributed to global progress.

The premier noted the significant progress in China-Saudi relations, attributing it to strong cooperation between both countries, which serves as a model for China-Arab and South-South cooperation.

He also recalled President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2022, where Xi attended three major summits: Saudi-China, Gulf-China, and Arab-China.

During this visit, Xi and King Salman signed a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement,” and a “High-Level Saudi-Chinese Joint Committee” was created, with meetings held alternately in each country.

Li noted that China and Saudi Arabia have been working for over a year to implement key summit agreements, boosting political trust and balanced cooperation across various areas.

He emphasized their close coordination on regional and global issues, which has strengthened their strategic partnership and advanced Chinese-Gulf and Chinese-Arab relations.

Trade and investment between China and Saudi Arabia have surged over the last few years. In 2023, China invested $16.8 billion in Saudi Arabia, up from $1.5 billion in 2022. Saudi investments in China reached 75 billion riyals.

Trade between the two countries hit $97 billion last year, with Saudi Arabia exporting $54 billion worth of goods to China and importing $43 billion. China has been Saudi Arabia’s top trading partner for the past decade.

In education, Saudi Arabia recently added Chinese language courses to its schools and hired 171 Chinese teachers. Additionally, 100 Saudi teachers are studying in China to earn master’s degrees in teaching Chinese.