Photo: Deputy Speaker of the Majlis Al-Shura, Saudi Arabia's Consultative Assembly, Mohammed Al-Jefri

Deputy Speaker of Shura Council: Saudi Arabia favours a political solution to Syrian crisis

28/09/2015

BRUSSELS-- Deputy Speaker of the Majlis Al-Shura, Saudi Arabia's Consultative Assembly, Mohammed Al-Jefri, with his accompanying delegation addressed the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament in Brussels Monday evening.

He explained the Kingdom's position on developments in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and terrorism and underlined Saudi Arabia's persistent efforts to find political solution to the regional crises and conflicts.

He said that the EU and Saudi Arabia enjoy a special political, economic and cultural relationship for mutual benefit and support for peace and security in the region.

On Yemen, he said that the Saudi-led coalition intervened after the invitation by the legitimate President of the country and under UNSC resolution 2016 to liberate the regions illegally occupied by Houthi rebels and in order to put an end to the violence and restore peace and stability.

Al-Jefri added that Saudi Arabia was the biggest donor of humanitarian aid to Yemen and in the last three years the Kingdom has spent over USD three billion for aid in Yemen, noting that half a million Yemenis were given residence in Saudi Arabia beside the two million Yemenis living in the country since a long time.

On Syria, he said Saudi Arabia began giving humanitarian aid right from the start of the crisis, while praising some European countries for hosting a large number of Syrian refugees and for providing humanitarian aid.

Al-Jefri said Saudi Arabia favours a political solution to the Syrian crisis but stressed that Bashar Al-Assad cannot be part of the solution.

Turning to terrorism, he said that Saudi Arabia is itself a victim of terrorism and it was the first to condemn "Daesh" as a terrorist group. "Terrorism has no religion and no state," he stressed and called for more international cooperation to fight terrorism.

He also condemned the Israeli assault on the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and urged the international community to take steps to stop such atrocities.