Saudi Foreign Minister Participates in Discussion Session on Europe's Options in Middle East

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated yesterday in a discussion session during the meetings of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Madrid under the title "Wars and Shadow Wars: What are Europe's Options in the Middle East?"

 The session discussed the latest developments in the tragic situation in the Gaza Strip, and the importance of continuing international efforts to reach an immediately cease fire and allow more humanitarian aid to enter.

 The Minister of Foreign Affairs said in his participation in the session that the situation in the Gaza Strip does not only affect the Palestinian cause alone, but the entire region and contributes to increasing escalation and intensity of tension, which is currently happening in southern Lebanon due to the expansion of the crisis in the Gaza Strip."

 The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of continuing the work to reach an immediate ceasefire, noting that the majority of the international community agree that the lasting and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution, but they stand idly by in the face of matters that may undermine the two-state solution, such as Israel's continued settlement expansion.

 The minister explained that what European countries, including Spain, are doing to support the peace process and push towards the two-state solution is very important, and that the least that the European countries can do is condemn Israel's failure to abide by its commitments and then take stricter steps such as imposing sanctions on some officials who violate human rights, stressing that the Palestinian people have the full right to self-determination and that they, as a people, deserve an independent state recognized internationally.

 Prince Faisal bin Farhan touched on the situation in Yemen, stressing the continuation of providing support for political dialogue, adding that we need to move to a better state because the situation in Yemen is still difficult, especially on the economic level."