European Parliament reaffirms strong ties with Saudi Arabia

Riyadh : A seven-member delegation from the Saudi Parliamentary Friendship Committee, led by Prince Khalid bin Abdullah bin Mishari, met in Brussels on Monday with members of the European Parliament, who reaffirmed the strong ties between the Kingdom and Europe.

The head of the Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula (DARP), Michele Alliot-Marie, said that the presence of the Saudi delegation was very significant and reflected the desire to strengthen the Kingdom’s relations with the EU.

“The Gulf region is very important for the stability of the world,” Alliot-Marie said. “Stability is a matter of interest to Europe, and relations with Saudi Arabia are strong in all areas: Economic, trade, security and energy.”

“Everyone has witnessed the progress in the Kingdom and the achievements made,” Prince Khalid said, adding that Saudi Arabia is determined to end the suffering of the Yemeni people by supporting the legitimacy and efforts of friendly countries to negotiate reconciliation.

He stressed that the Kingdom notes the efforts of the UN envoy to reach a political solution in accordance with the Security Council’s resolution.

Alliot-Marie pointed out that the political crisis between Qatar and Saudi, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt is of concern to the EU, which hopes a quick solution can be reached.

Prince Khalid expressed regret over the misguided stance of the Qatari government, pointing out that the decision taken by the four countries is part of their jurisdiction in the fight against terrorism.