Saudi FM Says Establishing Palestinian State is Key to Ties with Israel

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (File photo: Reuters)
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (File photo: Reuters)
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Saudi FM Says Establishing Palestinian State is Key to Ties with Israel

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (File photo: Reuters)
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (File photo: Reuters)

Saudi Arabia said that forming diplomatic ties with Israel requires establishing a Palestinian state.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told Bloomberg Thursday that an agreement to create a Palestinian state would be a precondition to establishing formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

"We have said consistently that we believe normalization with Israel is something that is very much in the interest of the region," noted Prince Faisal.

"However, true normalization and true stability will only come through giving the Palestinians hope, through giving the Palestinians dignity."

Regarding Saudi Arabia's relations with China and the United States, bin Farhan reiterated that Washington remains the Kingdom's top security partner, even as ties warm with China.

The US is "the most active security partner in the region," he said, though "China continues to be an important trading partner."

Regarding Ukraine, Prince Faisal noted that an end to the Russia-Ukraine war could also be achieved "through negotiation."

Saudi Arabia is engaging with Russia over keeping the oil price "relatively stable," he said.

On Syria, the Saudi foreign minister said countries in the region should work together to find a "political solution" to an ongoing 12-year civil war.



GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
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GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi welcomed on Wednesday the agreement between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to de-escalate the situation with regard to the Yemeni banking sector and airlines.

The agreement was announced by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Tuesday.

Albudaiwi expressed the GCC's support for all regional and international efforts and the efforts led by the UN special envoy aimed at achieving peace and security in Yemen.

The announcement underscores the importance the international community attaches to the Yemeni crisis, he added, hoping the agreement will pave the way for Yemeni parties to start the political process, under UN auspices, to reach a comprehensive political solution that achieves security and stability in the country.

He reiterated the GCC's continued support and full solidarity with Yemen, its government and people, and its keenness to encourage all efforts to de-escalate and maintain stability in order to reach peace.