Saudi Arabia Stresses Importance of Bolstering Sustainable Regional, Int’l Ties

Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with the President of Uzbekistan. (SPA)
Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with the President of Uzbekistan. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Stresses Importance of Bolstering Sustainable Regional, Int’l Ties

Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with the President of Uzbekistan. (SPA)
Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with the President of Uzbekistan. (SPA)

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev received in Tashkent on Friday Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan for talks on bolstering cooperation between their countries.

Prince Faisal was in Uzbekistan to attend the two-day “International Conference on Central and South Asia Regional Connectivity, Challenges and Opportunities.”

He relayed to Mirziyoyev the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

They tackled the importance of bolstering investments as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 that offers numerous promising opportunities, especially in technology, innovation and renewable energy. They also discussed bilateral relations and regional and international developments.

Also on Friday, Prince Faisal met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on the sidelines of the conference. They discussed the latest regional and international developments, along with bilateral relations and ways to boost them to serve common interests.

Prince Faisal later met with his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov for talks on cooperation and investment opportunities.

Prince Faisal headed the Saudi delegation at the conference. During an address to the attendees, he stressed the historic and advanced relations between the countries of central and southern Asia. He also hailed the regional partnerships between Saudi Arabia and the region, especially in renewable energy.

He stated that Saudi Arabia believes in the importance of bolstering regional cohesion and developing sustainable international ties through profitable partnerships.

Moreover, he said the Kingdom was working on increasing investment in transportation and logistics services infrastructure as part of Vision 2030. He cited Riyadh’s support to the trans-Asian railway that spans 12,500 kilometers across 28 countries.

He added that technological infrastructure and cybersecurity were pivotal elements that help increase regional cooperation. He noted that the Kingdom, along with six other countries, had launched a digital cooperation organization aimed at bolstering cooperation and accelerating development in digital economies.

The Kingdom is constantly working with its partners to boost the suitable environment to increase international trade partnerships, including freedom of marine navigation, peace and political stability, Prince Faisal continued.

On Afghanistan, he said Riyadh supports all efforts that lead to dialogue, reconciliation, agreement and stability there. It also supports all international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.



Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences to Azerbaijan after Plane Crash

A handout photo made available by the press service of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan shows emergency specialists working at the crash site of a passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, 25 December 2024. (EPA/Kazakhstan Emergencies Ministry handout)
A handout photo made available by the press service of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan shows emergency specialists working at the crash site of a passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, 25 December 2024. (EPA/Kazakhstan Emergencies Ministry handout)
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Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences to Azerbaijan after Plane Crash

A handout photo made available by the press service of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan shows emergency specialists working at the crash site of a passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, 25 December 2024. (EPA/Kazakhstan Emergencies Ministry handout)
A handout photo made available by the press service of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan shows emergency specialists working at the crash site of a passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, 25 December 2024. (EPA/Kazakhstan Emergencies Ministry handout)

Saudi Arabia offered on Wednesday its condolences to Azerbaijan following the plane crash in Kazakhstan.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the Kingdom expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased and to the government and people of Azerbaijan. It wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The Muslim World League (MWL) also extended its condolences to the government and people of Azerbaijan following the crash.

An Embraer passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people while 29 survivors received hospital treatment, Kazakh authorities said.

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea, after what Russia's aviation watchdog said was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike. But an aviation expert suggested that cause seemed unlikely.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said according to information he had received, the plane changed course due to poor weather, but he added the cause of the crash was unknown and must be fully investigated.