Saudi Govt. Urges Continued Cooperation with Int’l Community to Reach Sustainable Development Goals

King Salman chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
King Salman chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt. Urges Continued Cooperation with Int’l Community to Reach Sustainable Development Goals

King Salman chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
King Salman chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday the Kingdom’s keenness on maintaining cooperation with the international community to achieve sustainable development goals.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The cabinet was briefed on the letters received by King Salman from the presidents of Tajikistan and Burkina Faso. They were also briefed on the letter Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, received from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

They were also briefed on the telephone call he received from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday.

The cabinet discussed the Kingdom’s recent participation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the Arab States, Arab League, and G20 meetings.

Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi said the ministers reviewed the economic and structural reforms that were implemented as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

They highlighted their role in strengthening the Saudi economy and overcoming various challenges that the world has faced over the past two years. This was evident in the performance of non-oil activities and on the gross domestic product until the end of the second quarter of this year 2022, he added.

The cabinet underscored the inauguration of the port of Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries, which will act as a new logistical platform for the Kingdom that will help in developing industrial capabilities and increasing the penetration of Saudi exports to global markets, to achieve the vision's goals.

Al-Qasabi said the Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom’s interest in boosting the competitiveness of national human capabilities locally and globally, through maximizing values, developing basic and future skills, and developing knowledge, citing the Kingdom's progress in the Human Development Index (HDI) released by the United Nations Development Program report for 2022.



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.