King Salman discusses ways to resolve Syrian crisis with FM

Saudi Arabia and Russia agree on international principles that guarantee the sovereignty of Syria in accordance with international law and non-interference in the country’s internal affairs, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adel bin Ahmad Al-Jubeir, said on Sunday after a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

With regard to the challenges facing the region, the stances of the two countries are identical, Al-Jubeir said. During a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart in Jeddah, Al-Jubeir said the two men had discussed the importance of reaching a political solution in accordance with the declaration of “Geneva 1” and UN Security Council resolution 2254.

He stressed the Kingdom’s support for de-escalation zones and political processes in Syria to get it out of the crisis, preserve its territorial integrity, guarantee the rights of all Syrian communities and seek to find political solutions based on the Geneva resolution that would lead to the formation of a transitional authority.

On the Qatar crisis, Al-Jubeir said the Saudi stance was clear, and had been stated repeatedly.
“Qatar knows what is required. We want clarity with regard to the Qatari position. We want a seriousness in finding a solution of this crisis leading to implementation of the principles supported by all countries of the world, non-support of terrorism, non-financing of terrorism, non-hosting of wanted persons, non-dissemination of hatred and extremism and non-interference in the affairs of other countries that were among 13 demands submitted to the Qatari side through the State of Kuwait.

“In this regard, we have taken measures and will continue our stance until Qatar responds to the will of the international community to stop supporting and financing terrorism and extremism.” Al-Jubeir said Qatar did not abide by the Riyadh agreement in 2013/2014, which was why Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt had taken action.

“Qatar must realize its policies are unacceptable, not only for countries in the region but all over the world. I do not think that there is a state that backs support or financing of terrorism or incitement to extremism or interference in the affairs of other countries. Now, we hope that wisdom in the state of Qatar will prevail.”

After a meeting with King Salman, the Russian foreign minister expressed his satisfaction with the level of cooperation between the two countries.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz, received in Jeddah on Sunday Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to the Saudi state-owned news agency (SPA). Bolstering bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation were discussed by the two, alongside regional and international developments.

The audience was attended by Minister of State and Cabinet Member Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, the Special Russian Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and North Africa Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom Sergey Kozlov and a number of officials.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Lavrov, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said that Qatar needed to show seriousness in finding a solution to the crisis. “We want clarity in the Qatari position, we want seriousness in finding a solution that leads to the implementation of principles which all countries support: no supporting terrorism, no welcoming unwanted guests, no spreading hate, no intervening in others’ affairs,” Jubeir said.

“We are interested in all those mediatory efforts that are currently being made producing results and the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) being restored,” he added. Kuwait and the United States have been mediating to reach a breakthrough in the three-month long crisis that has put the whole region on edge and prompted Turkey to send troops to Qatar in a sign of support.

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia suspended any dialogue with Qatar, accusing it of “distorting facts”, just after a report of a phone call between the leaders of both countries suggested a breakthrough in the Gulf dispute. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups.