Saudi Govt Hopes Constructive Dialogue with Iran Will Continue According to Agreement

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Hopes Constructive Dialogue with Iran Will Continue According to Agreement

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government hoped on Tuesday that the constructive dialogue with Iran will continue based on the Chinese-sponsored agreement that was reached last week.

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

The government hoped the agreement will benefit Saudi Arabia, Iran and the region and bolster regional and international peace and security.

The ministers reviewed the agreement, which was reached through the directives of the wise Saudi leadership and in response to an initiative by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The agreement calls for restoring diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It underscored the principles of respecting the sovereignty of countries, refraining from meddling in their internal affairs and committing to the United Nations Charter, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and international treaties and norms.

The government was briefed on the meeting held between Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, with the prime minister of Poland. The officials discussed bilateral relations and ways to bolster cooperation in various fields.

They were briefed on Crown Prince Mohammed’s meeting with Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi. Saudi Arabia stressed its ongoing support to the council, Yemeni government and people, as well as efforts to reach a comprehensive UN-sponsored political solution to the country’s crisis.

The government reviewed the latest efforts of Saudi foreign policy that stems from the Kingdom’s pivotal role in the international arena and its constant keenness on bolstering regional and international peace and stability.

It reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support to all international efforts aimed at reaching a political solution to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and facilitating dialogue between the two sides.

The government underlined Saudi Arabia’s remarks at the fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) that was held in Doha, Qatar. The Kingdom stressed its commitment to working with the international community to support least developed countries, help them overcome their challenges and guide them towards progress and growth.

It also pledged to continue to play a pioneering role in all development areas on the regional and international levels to achieve the sustainable development goals of Vision 2030.

The government reviewed the various conferences that were hosted by the Kingdom in the past week and the latest economic developments in Saudi Arabia in wake of the implementation of various economic reforms.



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.