The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, affirmed that his country’s foreign policy is based on its firm principles, committed to international covenants that defend Arab and Islamic issues, aiming to combat terrorism and achieve security and stability in the world, and striving to unite ranks in the face of the dangers and challenges facing the Arab and Islamic nations.
He made the remarks while opening the fourth year of the sixth session of the Saudi Shura Council in Riyadh today.
Following the opening of the fourth year of the sixth session of the Shura Council in Riyadh today, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said that the Kingdom was founded on the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, and it has been honored to serve the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors. Since its establishment, it has witnessed national unity, and the pace of development and growth has continued to accelerate, despite international economic fluctuations.
He affirmed that the primary goal of development in the Kingdom is the Saudi citizen, pointing out in this regard the attention given by the government to the sectors of health, education, housing, employment, transportation, and the economy, among others, by providing them with unlimited material, human, and organizational support, noting that the reorganization of the Council of Ministers’ bodies comes in support of the development process.
Following his opening speech for the fourth year of the sixth session of the Shura Council in Riyadh today, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, reviewed in a written speech the state’s internal and external policies and the achievements it has made. In the field of combating terrorism, he affirmed that confronting this scourge is a shared international responsibility, as its danger looms over everyone. He pointed out that from this perspective, the formation of the Islamic Military Alliance to fight terrorism, led by the Kingdom, and the establishment of a joint operations center in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations to combat terrorism and to develop the necessary programs and mechanisms to support these efforts, and to put in place appropriate arrangements to coordinate with friendly and peace-loving countries and international bodies in order to serve the international effort to combat terrorism and maintain international peace and security.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques stressed the importance of national unity and rejecting all causes of division and discord, and undermining national unity, and the necessity of confronting all calls for evil and sedition, whatever the source of these calls and the means of spreading them, pointing to the responsibility that falls on the media in this regard.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques affirmed the Kingdom’s keenness to defend Arab and Islamic issues in international forums, and foremost among these is achieving what the Kingdom has always sought and continues to seek, namely that the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. He affirmed that what the Israeli occupation forces have recently done in terms of escalation and irresponsible actions, such as killing children, women, and innocent civilians, and storming the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and violating its sanctity and attacking worshipers, is a major crime that must be stopped. It is also necessary to put an end to the construction of Israeli settlements and remove what has been built of them, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take the necessary measures to protect the Palestinian people from Israeli aggressive practices, which are a provocation to the feelings of all Arabs and Muslims.
He stated that, in line with the Kingdom’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations towards brotherly countries and supporting them, Operation Decisive Storm was launched with the participation of several Arab and Islamic countries, at the request of the legitimate government in Yemen, to save the country from a faction that had overthrown its legitimacy and undermined its security and stability, and sought to dominate and sow discord in the region. He affirmed that, since the beginning of the crisis until now, the Kingdom has been calling for a political solution in accordance with the Gulf Initiative and the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue, and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution No. (2216).
Regarding the Syrian crisis, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said that the Kingdom’s position on the Syrian crisis has been clear from the beginning, and it seeks to ensure that Syria remains a united country that brings together all segments of the Syrian people. It calls for a political solution that will bring Syria out of its crisis and enable the establishment of a transitional government from moderate opposition forces, ensuring the unity of the Syrians, the withdrawal of foreign forces, and the departure of terrorist organizations. He pointed out that, based on this, the Kingdom hosted a meeting of the Syrian opposition, including all its factions and components, in an effort to find a political solution that guarantees the unity of Syrian territory in accordance with the Geneva (1) resolutions.
He affirmed the Kingdom’s keenness to strengthen and develop its relations with many brotherly and friendly countries through the exchange of visits with many world leaders, which will enhance the Kingdom’s position and its regional and international role.
He said that in the field of energy, the Kingdom continued to pay attention to the stability of the oil market by adopting a balanced policy that takes into account the interests of producers and consumers, and ensures the stability of the market and protects the interests of present and future generations. He affirmed the Kingdom’s keenness to continue its operations in exploring oil, gas, and other natural resources in the Kingdom.
He pointed out that the Kingdom has succeeded in maintaining the levels of public debt, which remain low compared to global rates, and its commitment to implementing programs to diversify sources of income and reduce reliance on oil as a major source of income.
He noted the Kingdom’s keenness to improve the Saudi commercial market and create an attractive environment for work and investment for national and foreign companies, and to simplify procedures and facilitate investment in the Saudi market. He pointed out that there were directives to open the retail and wholesale trade sector to foreign companies in an effort to diversify the goods and services provided to citizens and make them available with high quality and competitive prices, and to create new opportunities for work and training for Saudi youth.