Al-Miqdad to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Seeks Integration with Saudi Arabia

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Miqdad attends the Jeddah meetings. (SPA - Reuters)

Faisal Al-Miqdad, the Syrian foreign minister, said that his country has made hundreds of steps with regard to what is required of it, but did not receive any initiative from the other parties, calling for the need to show good intentions and stop starving the Syrian people, as he put it.

Speaking on the sidelines of the second ministerial meeting of the Arab League countries and the nations of the Pacific Islands, held in Riyadh, Al-Miqdad saluted the effective role of Saudi Arabia, led by King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, to strengthen intra-Arab relations and cooperation with influential countries around the world.

In response to a question by Asharq Al-Awsat about the outcome of the recent Arab summit held in Jeddah, and the “step-by-step” policy, the minister said: “The results of the summit were good and accurate, with regard to us in Syria. I assure you that we have walked hundreds of steps, for which we have not received any step from the other parties.”

He continued: “Therefore, the other parties are now required to show good intentions, to stop supporting terrorism and starving the Syrian people and children, and (instead) contribute to the new renaissance of the Syrian people.”

Explaining by what he means with “other parties”, Al-Miqdad said they are the parties “behind terrorism, the killings, sedition, the division and fragmentation”, of Syria.

The Syrian foreign minister talked about ten difficult years witnessed in the Arab nation. He stressed that the problem was not only in Syria, but also in Libya, Somalia and Sudan, underlining the need for cooperation “to face these challenges.”

He expressed Syria’s readiness to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in all fields.

“We are happy to be in Saudi Arabia. There are very large activities... including the Arab-Chinese Forum and the meeting of the nations of the Pacific Islands. We salute this effective role of the Kingdom, and the goals set by the Saudi leadership to strengthen intra-Arab relations and bilateral Arab relations with influential countries in the world,” he said, adding that “we are ready to cooperate in various fields.”

The Syrian foreign minister revealed that Syria and Saudi Arabia were now discussing the names of their new ambassadors, who “must ensure the growth of Syrian-Saudi relations to reach the stage of integration in all Arab and foreign policies.”