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.



Saudi Defense Minister Meets with French Ambassador

Prince Khalid bin Salman met on Monday with French Ambassador to the Kingdom Ludovic Pouille. Photo: Saudi Ministry of Defense
Prince Khalid bin Salman met on Monday with French Ambassador to the Kingdom Ludovic Pouille. Photo: Saudi Ministry of Defense
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Saudi Defense Minister Meets with French Ambassador

Prince Khalid bin Salman met on Monday with French Ambassador to the Kingdom Ludovic Pouille. Photo: Saudi Ministry of Defense
Prince Khalid bin Salman met on Monday with French Ambassador to the Kingdom Ludovic Pouille. Photo: Saudi Ministry of Defense

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met on Monday with French Ambassador to the Kingdom Ludovic Pouille.

During the meeting in Riyadh, they reviewed relations between the two friendly countries and several issues of mutual interest.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf, Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, Assistant Minister of Defense for Executive Affairs Khaled bin Hussein Al-Biyari, and Office of the Minister of Defense Director General Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif.