RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has said that he is not aware of any talks on the Gulf-Israel defense alliance and that the country is not involved in such talks. Amir Faisal bin Farhan was speaking at a press conference after the Security and Development Summit in Jeddah in the presence of US President Joe Biden on Saturday.
He clarified that Riyadh’s decision to open its airspace to all airlines has nothing to do with establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and is not a prelude to further action. Our decision to open Saudi airspace to all airlines is based on our commitment to international standards and our interest in enabling seamless air travel between the countries of the world. We hope this will make life easier for air travelers. The Foreign Minister said that this is not a prelude to any kind of follow-up of any decisions.
No military or technical cooperation of any kind was discussed or suggested at the Jeddah summit. Emir Faisal bin Farhan added that Saudi Arabia has taken the initiative and held positive talks with Tehran, but they have not seen any results.
Saudi efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in war-torn Yemen are continuing. The Iran-backed Houthi armed group must understand that the Yemeni people’s interest is in peace and stability. The minister added that one of the reasons for the conflict in Yemen is Iran’s weapons. As far as oil production is concerned, he clarified that OPEC Plus will continue to assess the market needs of countries and act accordingly. We did not discuss the issue of oil production in the summit. OPEC Plus will continue to assess markets and what they need. Amir Faisal bin Farhan also stated that the main discussion at the summit was focused on Saudi Arabia’s partnership with the US.