Saudi Arabia Condemns Egypt Church Attack

Security forces stand guard at the site of attack on a church in the Helwan district south of Cairo, Egypt December 29, 2017. (Reuters)
Security forces stand guard at the site of attack on a church in the Helwan district south of Cairo, Egypt December 29, 2017. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Egypt Church Attack

Security forces stand guard at the site of attack on a church in the Helwan district south of Cairo, Egypt December 29, 2017. (Reuters)
Security forces stand guard at the site of attack on a church in the Helwan district south of Cairo, Egypt December 29, 2017. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned on Friday the attack against a Coptic church near the Egyptian capital Cairo, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

An official source at the Foreign Ministry expressed the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of the attack targeting a church in the Helwan City district.

It offered Saudi Arabia’s condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Egypt, wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded.

The source reaffirmed the Kingdom's solidarity with Egypt against such horrendous acts of terrorism.

The United Arab Emirates also condemned Friday’s church attack.

''The UAE wholeheartedly stands with the Egyptian State and people against extremism and terrorism,'' said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in a statement.

It expressed the UAE's vehement condemnation of such grave criminal acts and its utter rejection of all forms of terrorism.

"Such heinous acts of terror will never have a bearing on the Egyptian people's determination to stand fast against the evils of terrorism which fly in the face of all religious and human values and principles," said the ministry.

The Ministry reiterated the Emirates categorical denunciation of all forms of violence and terrorism, which target all without distinction as to religion or ethnicity and concluded by offering condolences to the government and people of Egypt.



Saudi Arabia Emphasizes Peaceful Cooperation to Achieve Global Security

Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila speaks during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. (Photo: Saudi Mission in Geneva)
Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila speaks during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. (Photo: Saudi Mission in Geneva)
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Saudi Arabia Emphasizes Peaceful Cooperation to Achieve Global Security

Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila speaks during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. (Photo: Saudi Mission in Geneva)
Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila speaks during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. (Photo: Saudi Mission in Geneva)

Saudi Arabia emphasized peaceful international cooperation as a means to achieve global prosperity, stability and security, stressing the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the necessity of its full implementation.

Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khothaila, the Permanent Saudi Representative to the United Nations and international organizations in Geneva, participated in the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.

The ambassador called for more effective international efforts to achieve the goals and universality of the NPT, urging non-party states to join the treaty and subject all their nuclear facilities to the comprehensive safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Affirming the right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology under Article 4 of the Treaty, he underlined the importance of adhering to the highest standards of transparency and reliability, calling on all parties to cooperate to promote peaceful use for the benefit of global development and well-being.

He stated that the responsibility for making the Middle East a nuclear-weapon-free zone lies with the international community, especially the sponsors of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East.

Bin Khothaila condemned the recent statements and threats made by a member of the Israeli government regarding the use of nuclear weapons against the Palestinians, describing his words as violations of international law and a threat to global peace and security.

He further called for intensifying cooperation between the parties to the NPT to attain positive results at the next “review conference” in 2026, with the aim of achieving a safe world free of nuclear weapons.