Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah denied on Tuesday divergence between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying reports that have made such claims are “overdramatized” and “far from the truth.”
Speaking to the press in London, he said: “All decisions in OPEC and OPEC+ are made through very extensive dialogue between all the partners ... Every statement I see that is made on the record from all of the partners in OPEC+ reflects that consensus.”
“We always say that we are committed to a stable market ... (the minister of energy) feels the market doesn't need any production changes until the end of the year,” Prince Faisal said.
He made his remarks on the sidelines of his participation at roundtable talks organized by Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank.
On the Iranian nuclear deal, Prince Faisal said it was “not ideal” and must address the concerns of neighboring countries.
“We are open to dialogue with Iran,” he added.
On Saudi ties with the United States, he described them as “very good”, remarking that China was “one of our greatest trade partners, as it is with the rest of the world.”
Moreover, the FM revealed that dialogue is ongoing about Syria’s return to the Arab fold, “but it is too soon to talk about that.”
“An engagement in order to address these concerns is necessary. And that may well lead eventually to Syria returning to the Arab League et cetera. But for now, I think it's too early to discuss,” he told reporters.
Syria was largely isolated from the rest of the Arab world following Bashar al-Assad's deadly crackdown against protests that erupted against his rule in 2011.
The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011 and many Arab countries pulled their envoys out of Damascus.
But Assad has benefited from an outpouring of support from Arab states following the devastating earthquake on Feb. 6, which killed thousands of Syrians.
“I can say that ... that there is a consensus building in the Arab world, that the status quo is not tenable. And that means we have to find a way to move beyond that status quo,” said Prince Faisal.
On the developments in the Palestinian Territories, the FM stressed: “Our position is clear towards the Palestinian cause and it prioritizes the stability and security of the Palestinians.”
“We are facing the possibility of greater violence” if the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not resolved, he warned.
The London roundtable discussed the historic and strategic relations between Saudi Arabia and the UK. It also tackled Saudi Arabia’s development through its Vision 2030.
Participants also tackled the Russian-Ukranian crisis and the Iranian nuclear file.
The meeting highlighted Saudi Arabia’s role in achieving peace in the Middle East and world and security and development in Yemen.
