President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa highly commended the efforts being exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in combating terrorism, extremist ideology and the rejection of sectarianism, the latest of which was the establishment of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology "Etidal" in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
This came in a joint statement issued after a meeting between President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz at Al-Salam palace in Jeddah on Thursday.
In their joint communique, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of South Africa stressed the necessity of exerting more joint efforts to combat terrorism and extremism in all forms and manifestations, the need to respect the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs and to stand firmly against any actions by any country to destabilize the countries of the Middle East in general and the Gulf region in particular.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques held fruitful and constructive talks with South Africa's President during which they exchanged views on ways of developing bilateral relations and intensifying cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, cultural, military and security fields.
They also stressed the need for more cooperation and efforts to increase trade exchange between them, increase the joint investments in economic projects and infrastructure and provide facilities and incentives for these investments to be in line with the aspirations of the two countries and the two peoples.
The two sides stressed the importance of reaching a comprehensive, lasting and just solution to the Palestinian cause in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy, to restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinians.
The statement also emphasized the importance of preserving the unity of Yemen, ensuring its security and stability, and of creating a political solution to the ongoing crisis on the basis of the Gulf initiative, its executive mechanism, the outcomes of Yemeni national dialogue, and Security Council Resolution 2216.
The two sides stressed the importance of reaching a political solution to the conflict in Syria in accordance with Geneva Declaration 1 and Security Council Resolution 2254 to end the suffering of the Syrian people, and of preserving Syria’s unity and territorial integrity, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and relief work to Syrian refugees in Syria and beyond.
The two sides also expressed their support for the efforts of the Iraqi government to combat terrorism in the country — which, the statement said, represents a threat to all Iraqis; to maintain Iraq’s unity and territorial integrity; and to stop foreign interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.
They also stressed the importance of supporting the Lebanese state and of disarming all terrorist organizations affecting Lebanon.
On Friday, Ramaphosa left Jeddah for the UAE. He was seen off from King Abdulaziz International Airport by Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal bin Majid, Saudi Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa Gharm bin Saeed Al-Mulhan, and a number of officials.
