Saudi Arabia believes only solution for Syria is political: Foreign minister
Saudi Arabia believes a political solution is the only solution to the Syrian crisis, the Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Tuesday during his Brussels conference speech, official Saudi Press Agency reported.
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He also affirmed that Saudi Arabia's position is “clear” and is in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254 and the Geneva roadmap. Adding that the Kingdom fully supports the efforts of the United Nations and the UN Special Envoy for Syria Ged Peterson in finding a solution to stop the “tragedy” in Syria.
Saudi Arabia has contributed to the efforts of achieving a solution by hosting the two Riyadh conferences, according to the foreign minister, which led to the establishment of the Syrian Negotiation Authority.
During the virtual conference, Prince Faisal also stressed that Iran remains as a major threat to the future of Syria and its identity, according to SPA.
“If there are interests of some international parties, Iran has a dangerous regional project to dominate by using sectarian militias and provoking civil wars that destroy peoples and homelands,” SPA quoted the foreign minister as saying.
“Sectarian militias and terrorist groups both cause destruction and devastation and prolong the crises,” he said. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stresses the importance of fighting all terrorist organizations in all their forms.”
Prince Faisal said that the Syrian crisis has caused “serious repercussions” on the Syrian people and on the security and stability of the region and the world.
“The suffering of the Syrian people continues to this day,” he reportedly added.
Saudi Arabia has hosted “hundreds of thousands” of Syrians over the years, according to the foreign minister. They were “treated the same treatment as Saudi citizens in terms of employment and medical services,” SPA quoted Prince Faisal as saying. He also said that more than 100,000 Syrian students attend the Kingdom's schools and universities.
In addition to helping those in the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia’s efforts included programs to support millions of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, according to Prince Faisal. He said that Saudi Arabia has provided humanitarian aid amounting to over $1 billion and will continue those efforts.
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