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Ukrainian Presidency: Jeddah Peace Consultations Were Very Productive

Representatives from more than 40 countries pose for a family picture as they attend talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, August 6, 2023. (SPA)
Representatives from more than 40 countries pose for a family picture as they attend talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, August 6, 2023. (SPA)
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Ukrainian Presidency: Jeddah Peace Consultations Were Very Productive

Representatives from more than 40 countries pose for a family picture as they attend talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, August 6, 2023. (SPA)
Representatives from more than 40 countries pose for a family picture as they attend talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, August 6, 2023. (SPA)

Officials from over 40 countries concluded in Jeddah on Sunday meetings on the Ukrainian crisis after two days of very productive and open consultations.

National security and foreign ministry representatives from over 40 countries were present at the talks.

A Saudi source said the heads of delegations concluded their main meetings on Saturday evening, while technical meetings, aimed at future coordination and cooperation, continued on Sunday.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock praised the consultations. She told Germany’s Bild that “every millimeter of progress toward a fair and honest peace brings a glimmer of hope for the people of Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskiy's head of staff Andriy Yermak said in a statement: “We had very productive consultations on the key principles on which a just and lasting peace should be built.”

Yermak said different viewpoints emerged during the talks in Saudi Arabia, calling them “an extremely honest, open conversation.”

He said all the countries present had demonstrated a commitment to the principles of international law and respect for the sovereignty and inviolability of the territorial integrity of states.

Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Jeddah consultations is an extension of the humanitarian initiatives and efforts carried out by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the contacts he had held with the Russian and Ukrainian leaderships in the early days of the conflict.

He had expressed to them his country’s willingness to pursue efforts that would lead to lasting peace and to support all initiatives aimed at easing the humanitarian impact of the crisis.

In remarks to the Ukrainian presidency website, Yermak said: “Saudi Arabia, hosted the second meeting of diplomatic national security advisors and political directors of foreign policy departments of the world's leading countries on the key principles of restoring lasting and just peace for Ukraine, following the launch of the relevant format in Copenhagen in June.”

“In total, more than 40 states were represented in Jeddah, almost three times as many as at the Copenhagen consultations. This indicates the world's great interest in establishing a sustainable and lasting peace,” he added.

The format of the consultations included in-person and online participation of national security advisors and political directors from Saudi Arabia, Australia, Argentina, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Egypt, India, Spain, Italy, Jordan, Canada, Qatar, China, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of South Africa, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia, the Union of the Comoros, the United States of America, Türkiye, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Chile, Sweden, Japan, and the United Nations.

The meeting in Jeddah was a step towards the practical implementation of peace initiatives proposed by Ukraine. Each state participating in the consultations has the opportunity to show leadership in global efforts for peace. And most of them have already defined their role in the implementation of certain points of the Formula, added Yermak.

The parties agreed to continue working at various representative levels to establish a just and comprehensive peace, he revealed.

As part of the consultations in Jeddah, the Ukrainian delegation headed by Yermak held a series of bilateral meetings on Sunday. The Ukrainian officials discussed with partners the details of implementing peace initiatives and cooperation in this area.

Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Marian offered help with implementing the peace plan, especially in the area of nuclear security and prosecution of Russian war crimes.

“The Czech Republic’s representation at the high-level consultations is based on our strong and long-standing support for Ukraine,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by state media on Sunday as saying the Jeddah meeting was “a reflection of the West's attempt to continue futile, doomed efforts” to mobilize the Global South behind Zelenskiy's position.

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Gulf

Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Targeting of Qatar Gas Transport Company's LNG Carrier Al Mayeda

Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Targeting of Qatar Gas Transport Company's LNG Carrier Al Mayeda
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Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Targeting of Qatar Gas Transport Company's LNG Carrier Al Mayeda

Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Targeting of Qatar Gas Transport Company's LNG Carrier Al Mayeda

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom’s strongest condemnation and denunciation of the targeting of "Al Mayeda" liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, owned by Qatar Gas Transport Company, in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, reiterating its rejection of all violations that threaten the security and safety of maritime navigation and global energy supplies, SPA reported.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirms its solidarity with the State of Qatar in all the measures it takes to protect its maritime vessels and ensure the safety of its international trade. It stresses the importance of the international community taking urgent measures to ensure maritime security and the safety of international trade, and to enforce international law in this regard,” the foreign ministry said.

Gulf

Coalition Targets Houthi Maritime Support Assets in Specialized Military Operation

Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Coalition Targets Houthi Maritime Support Assets in Specialized Military Operation

Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Coalition's Joint Forces Command carried out a specialized military operation on Sunday to neutralize maritime assets used by the Houthi terrorist militia to support its war effort, in a move aimed at curbing the group's ability to continue its repeated and brutal attacks.

Major General Turki Al-Malki, the Coalition Forces' official spokesperson, said the operation followed the Houthi terrorist militia's continued deliberate and systematic attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, as well as its attempts to exploit maritime resources to strengthen its military capabilities and sustain its hostile and brutal operations.

Al-Malki said these attacks posed a direct threat to civilian lives and the safety of civilian objects, as well as to the security of Saudi Arabia and Yemen and maritime shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea.

He affirmed that the Coalition's Joint Forces Command would continue taking and implementing the necessary operational measures to deter the Houthi terrorist militia's conduct and prevent it from using maritime assets to support its war effort.

He stressed the need for the militia to cease all hostile and brutal operations against civilians and civilian objects, warning that otherwise, the Houthi terrorist militia would bear the consequences of its hostile actions.

Gulf

Bahrain Calls for Regional Security Framework Open to Iran, UAE Hopes for Diplomatic Breakthrough

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani during the “Global Security Governance: Inclusion and Agency” session at the Manama Dialogue 2026, alongside Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President (Bahraini Foreign Ministry)
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani during the “Global Security Governance: Inclusion and Agency” session at the Manama Dialogue 2026, alongside Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President (Bahraini Foreign Ministry)
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Bahrain Calls for Regional Security Framework Open to Iran, UAE Hopes for Diplomatic Breakthrough

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani during the “Global Security Governance: Inclusion and Agency” session at the Manama Dialogue 2026, alongside Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President (Bahraini Foreign Ministry)
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani during the “Global Security Governance: Inclusion and Agency” session at the Manama Dialogue 2026, alongside Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President (Bahraini Foreign Ministry)

Bahrain on Sunday called for the establishment of a regional security framework based on respect for sovereignty, freedom of navigation and the rejection of force, saying it would remain open to Iran if Tehran adhered to those principles. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates expressed hope for a diplomatic breakthrough that would prevent renewed military confrontation in the region, while stressing its readiness for the worst-case scenario.

The two positions were outlined during the concluding session of the Manama Dialogue 2026, as diplomatic efforts continued to contain tensions between the United States and Iran amid warnings about the consequences of another confrontation for Gulf security, maritime routes and the global economy.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, speaking during a session titled "Global Security Governance: Inclusion and Agency," said regional developments this year had exposed the scale of the security challenges facing Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Jordan.

He said the countries had endured nearly 7,000 attacks involving ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles targeting civilian and economic infrastructure, including airports, ports and data centers.

Al Zayani stressed that Gulf security "must be shaped by the countries of the region themselves through partnerships based on respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs." He emphasized Bahrain's appreciation for every initiative that contributes to reducing tensions and opening the way for dialogue.

He called for an interconnected and cooperative regional security framework open to all neighboring countries willing to respect sovereignty and freedom of navigation and renounce the threat or use of force.

"The door remains open to Iran, as it does to others, but it leads to rules, not exceptions, and to actions, not intentions," he said.

Strait of Hormuz and Maritime Security

Addressing maritime security, the Bahraini foreign minister revealed that approximately 1,600 vessels had been held up in the Strait of Hormuz since the crisis began, while more than 23,000 seafarers had been deprived of freedom of movement.

"Hundreds of vessels and thousands of seafarers remain stranded," he said, noting the repercussions for energy markets, international trade, and food and medical supplies.

He warned that disruptions to shipping threatened the food security of as many as 45 million people, most of them in countries of the Global South.

"No state has the right to subject passage through an international strait to its permission or use it as a means of political and economic pressure," he stressed.

Al Zayani referred to UN Security Council Resolution 2817, submitted by Bahrain on behalf of GCC countries and Jordan and supported by 136 countries, saying the broad backing reflected growing international concern over threats to maritime routes.

However, he argued that "the problem lies not in the absence of legal rules, but in the weakness of their enforcement."

He called for a collective framework to protect maritime and air navigation based on international law, while enabling the UN General Assembly to act when the Security Council is unable to take the necessary measures.

He also proposed agreeing on international principles prohibiting the use of waterways and submarine cables as instruments of pressure or threats, with the principles to be adopted by the UN General Assembly.

Warning Over Threats to Digital Infrastructure

Al Zayani accused Iran of continuing to target airports and civilian facilities in several regional countries, even after understandings that were supposed to curb the escalation.

He also cited attacks carried out by armed groups linked to Tehran from Iraqi territory against Gulf countries and Jordan.

The foreign minister condemned the escalation of Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting airports in Riyadh, Abha, Jazan, Najran and Dammam, as well as energy facilities, reaffirming Bahrain's full solidarity with the Kingdom.

He referred to the UN Security Council's condemnation on October 15 of the escalating Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, its reaffirmation of the Kingdom's right to self-defense, and its call to prevent weapons from reaching the Houthis.

Al Zayani also warned that threats were expanding to digital infrastructure, citing threats by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps to target submarine cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz, as well as threats against data centers and artificial intelligence facilities.

He said regional security was now tied to three critical domains: maritime navigation, aviation and data flows.

He called for the development of international rules to protect these domains and for a treaty governing artificial intelligence, in line with an initiative proposed by Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Al Zayani affirmed that Bahrain would continue working through the UN Security Council and its regional and international partnerships to strengthen security and stability.

He stressed that "the effectiveness of the international system requires the implementation of its resolutions without selectivity," including resolutions concerning the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent state.

Gargash: Braced for the Worst

For his part, Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, expressed hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts would succeed in containing the confrontation between the United States and Iran, warning against the risks of another round of war.

"We're hoping that there is a diplomatic breakthrough," Gargash said during the session.

"It is not the interest of the region to go through another round... But I think we're also, as we've shown before, braced for the worst," he added.

His remarks came as Qatar held consultations with Iran and the United States in an effort to reach an understanding that would end the escalation, amid continuing disagreements over Iran's nuclear program, restrictions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade of Iranian ports.

US President Donald Trump had renewed threats of further military strikes against Iran on Saturday, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed that Washington remained open to diplomatic solutions and that no decision had yet been made on launching new attacks.

Gargash stressed the importance of strengthening "regional partnerships" and "economic integration" as ways to overcome differences.

He called for "respecting state sovereignty and ending the role of militias that undermine security and stability."

He emphasized that the region must not become an arena for settling international conflicts, underscoring "the importance of adopting an approach based on dialogue and cooperation and moving away from extremist rhetoric that obstructs opportunities for peace."

Gargash also called for intensified efforts to reach a settlement of the Palestinian issue leading to the establishment of an independent state.

He reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to working with its regional and international partners to support security, stability and development in the Middle East.