Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz al-Assaf said that the Israeli conflict remains a major challenge facing the Islamic nation, affirming that the Palestinian cause is a top priority to the kingdom until Palestinians get their full rights and establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as the capital.
“The conflict with Israel is the most important challenge facing the Islamic Ummah," he noted.
His statement was made at the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held Wednesday in Jeddah ahead of a series of summits in the kingdom.
Assaf also stressed that attacks on Gulf oil facilities must be addressed with "strength and firmness" and that more efforts were needed to combat the activities of the groups that carried them out.
"We emphasize the need to exert more efforts to combat the subversive activities of extremist and terrorist groups. They must be addressed with all strength and firmness," he stated.
Assaf was referring to an attack on oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates coast this month and drone strikes on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi FM said that the Islamic world is going through serious and grave challenges, the most dangerous of which is the interference in its internal affairs.
"Tehran´s support for Houthis in Yemen is a proof of Iranian interference in other nations´ affairs and this is something that Islamic countries should reject," he said, adding that, "the foreign interventions have exacerbated the crisis of the Yemeni people," while vowing support for the UN efforts to end the conflict in the country.
The minister also stressed that the Kingdom stands with the Republic of Sudan and supports the Transitional Military Council and measures taken by it in serving interests of the Sudanese people.
He pointed out that the Islamic nation is facing dangerous crises in Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Afghanistan and that the minority of Muslims are withstanding challenges.
Assaf stressed the need for political a solution in Syria according to the Geneva 1 resolution and the necessity to end the presence of sectarian militias. He highlighted the importance of the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar and that justice should be served to them.
Assaf renewed Saudi Arabia's support for Libya to resolve its current crisis.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of the OIC Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed al-Othaimeen stressed that Palestine is the ‘central’ cause and that it hasn’t been resolved yet because of the Israeli occupation continuous recklessness to the international legitimacy resolutions.
OIC is keeping a close eye on Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Sudan, Algeria, Nigeria, Guinea, and other countries, he noted.
