Jeddah, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa participated in Jeddah Security and Development Summit, which convened today at King Abdullah International Conference Centre, in Jeddah, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The summit was attended by Their Majesties and Highnesses the GCC leaders, HM the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Prime Minister of Iraq and the US President.
A translation of HM the King’s speech:
“In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
Your Majesties, Highnesses and Excellencies,
Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you,
It is a great pleasure to express our heartfelt congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the success of this year’s Hajj, and express sincere thanks for his kind invitation to this exceptional summit, which provides an opportunity to strengthen the longstanding relations and consolidate the strategic partnership between our countries and the United States of America led by His Excellency President Joe Biden, as well as to discuss solutions to achieve peace and development for all the peoples of the Middle East by confronting the challenges that threaten regional stability, international peace and security, and global interests.
With its important international strategic position, for years the Middle East has suffered, and continues to suffer, from difficult political, security and economic conditions, and serious challenges, which require us to think carefully to find the means to overcome ongoing crises and conflicts. At the forefront of these is the Palestinian issue, which must be resolved through a just and lasting settlement and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, in accordance with the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, alongside the creation of promising and sustainable economic opportunities for the Palestinian people, ensuring their effective participation in comprehensive development, based on the outcomes of the “Peace for Prosperity” workshop held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2019. In addition, there is the need to reach a political settlement to the Yemeni crisis and to continue humanitarian and developmental support for the Yemeni people.
Direct interference in the internal affairs of countries remains among the most serious challenges that exist, as it undermines principles and rights enshrined in international law. The time has come to unify efforts to end such interference, out of respect for the sovereignty of states, their religious and cultural values, and their civilized approach to respecting others, promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence, in addition to continuing joint efforts to make the Middle East a region free of weapons of mass destruction, and to combat terrorism and extremist ideology and its banned organizations.
Maintaining regional security and stability calls for cooperation, solidarity and effective joint action, in response to the aspirations of our people for peace, development and prosperity. In this context, we stress the importance of the ongoing work of the Combined Maritime Forces and the activation of additional Combined Task Forcess in light of their pivotal role in protecting international navigation and securing oil supplies and global trade through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. We greatly appreciate the constructive cooperation between our countries’ navies and the United States Fifth Fleet, which in the case of Bahrain has endured for over 75 years.
In this regard, we stress the importance of supporting efforts aimed at stabilizing global energy prices, including increasing investments to expand exploration and refining, and introducing new technologies that contribute to supporting global economic growth and addressing price inflation. We do not forget here the necessity of encouraging all initiatives to export grain, wheat and other essential items to ensure their access to world markets and initiatives that support affected countries to achieve food security.
We hope that this summit will yield positive results and constructive outcomes that will enhance joint cooperation and consolidate relations between our countries, enabling us to confront political, security and economic challenges, establish security and stability, and lay the foundations for a strong and longstanding relationship that meets the requirements of the present and the future.
We pray to God Almighty to bless our countries and peoples.
Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.
Thank you.”
HM the King expressed most sincere thanks and appreciation to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for the gracious welcome and hospitality. He noted the pivotal role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in boosting regional and international cooperation as well as promoting security, stability and growth in the region. He asserted the pioneering role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in uniting the efforts to promote welfare in the region, pointing out the importance of the summit in fostering pan-Arab work and building on previous achievements.
HM the King emphasized strong and distinguished historical relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pointing out deep-rooted strategic relations between the GCC countries and the USA and the importance to further develop them to achieve common interests.
HM the King noted historical relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the USA, which extend for more than 75 years, stressing strategic partnership between the two friendly countries and its role in boosting regional security and promoting global peace, stability and prosperity. He also pointed out the importance of the GCC-US summits in fostering cooperation and coordination to achieve common aspirations. He affirmed the importance of the international efforts in achieving the economic recovery from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and weathering the repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis.
HM the King asserted the importance of promoting international peace and dialogue, no-interference in countries’ internal affairs and respect of the countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity. He pointed out the need to enhance energy security, ensure flexibility of supply chains and stability of energy markets.
HM the King pointed out the importance of keeping the region free of weapons of mass destruction and adopting negotiations as the only way to resolve wars and conflicts, being the best option to confront various challenges. HM reiterated the Kingdom of Bahrain’s firm stance towards the Palestinian cause, and in supporting all endeavors to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region, in order to enhance global peace and security, ensure the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state in accordance with the two-state solution and the resolutions of international legitimacy. He also noted the importance of activating the Arab initiative and creating promising and sustainable economic opportunities for the Palestinian people based on the outcomes of the “Peace for Prosperity” workshop hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2019.
HM the King pointed out the importance of regional and international cooperation in promoting peace and stability in the region and the world and achieving sustainable development for all. He underscored the significance of constructive cooperation to solve issues of common interest through peaceful and diplomatic methods.
Source: Bahrain News Agency