Saudi Crown Prince meets with UN Secretary General

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres Tuesday evening and discussed several Arab issues including the Yemeni and Syrian crises.

The crown prince expressed his contentment with the visit, and mentioned Saudi Arabia’s vital role in co-founding the UN, while stating that the kingdom believes in the sovereignty of nations and the rule of law that governs the world.

“Our problem in the Middle East is with the ideas that do not condone or believe in the notion of the United Nations, and that continue to operate in stark contradiction to the principles of the United Nations,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

“By interfering in other nations’ internal affairs and promoting transnational ideologies that are not related to national interests. We in Saudi Arabia represent only the national interests of our country. And we work and cooperate with our allies in the Middle East to protect our and their interests in the region,” he added.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council regarding the Iranian-Houthi ballistic missiles attack on several Saudi cities Sunday night.

Saudi Arabia called on the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities in maintaining international security and stability and the need to hold Iran accountable for supplying ballistic missiles to the Houthis.

“We try as much as we can to solve the problems of the Middle East politically. And if things go out of control, we try as hard as we can to avoid as many mistakes as we can,” the crown prince said. “This is why we are working today with the United Nations in order to avoid other repercussions in the Middle East.”

Saudi air defense forces had intercepted seven ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis on Sunday from Yemeni territory towards several cities in Saudi Arabia. Coalition forces then released details into their preliminary investigation showing evidence that the missiles were of Iranian make.

Mohammed bin Salman ended his statement by saying that Saudi Arabia will continue to be an active member of the UN, and will continue to comply with international laws.

$930 million in aid

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have given $930 million to UN humanitarian efforts in Yemen.

Mohammed bin Salman presented the previously pledged donation Tuesday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Guterres thanked Prince Mohammed for the contribution to alleviating what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 22 million people needing aid. Guterres added that ultimately, "the solution is political."