Arab-Islamic Summit – Over 50 Leaders Meet in Riyadh, Iran’s President Will Not Attend


Over 50 leaders met in Riyadh for the Arab-Islamic Summit. (Photo: Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye TW Page)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

“I have no doubt that with measures you take; this meeting will have some effective and tangible results to stop the crimes of the Zionist regime and the war and bloodshed in Gaza and Lebanon.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will not attend this week’s joint Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation Summit in the Saudi capital “due to his busy schedule,” the IRNA news agency reported.

Pezeshkian however spoke by phone on Sunday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on bilateral relations, with the leaders expressing hope that cooperation between their countries is “promoted further.”

“I have no doubt that with measures you take; this meeting will have some effective and tangible results to stop the crimes of the Zionist regime and the war and bloodshed in Gaza and Lebanon,” Pezeshkian told bin Salman.

Ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia were now at a historic turning point, bin Salman reportedly said, and expressed hope that the bilateral relations were promoted to their highest level.

The Saudi leader will meet with Iranian Vice President Mohammed Reza Aref who will attend the summit.

‘Rejection of Genocide’ – Bin Salman

In his opening speech at the summit on Monday, bin Salman condemned “the genocide” against the Palestinian people by Israel.

“The Kingdom reaffirms its condemnation and utter rejection of the genocide perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people, which has resulted in over 150,000 martyrs, wounded, and missing, most of them women and children,” bin Salman said, according to a speech provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

He stressed the need to continue efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state on the lands of 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital and also condemned Israeli attempts to prevent the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from delivering aid to Gaza.

Bin Salman also said that his country rejects any threat to the security and sovereignty of Lebanon.

“We strongly condemn the Israeli military operations targeting Lebanese territories and reject any threats to Lebanon’s security and stability, violations of its territorial integrity, and the displacement of its citizens,” he stated.

“Our countries have jointly condemned the Israeli aggression and affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause,” bin Salman noted.

UN Resolutions

“We have urged greater international recognition of the State of Palestine, mobilized support for Palestinian rights, as expressed in UN General Assembly resolutions regarding full Palestine UN membership, and advocated for an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories,” he added.

The crown prince also highlighted the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, launched by Saudi Arabia in partnership with the European Union and Norway, and invited other countries to join.

The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, emphasized the urgent implementation of Security Council Resolution 2735, which calls for a ceasefire and adequate and sustainable humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip.

Taha also called for the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces and the empowerment of the Palestinian government to fulfill its responsibilities in Gaza, said the SPA.

More than 50 leaders of Arab and Islamic nations are taking part in the summit called for by Riyadh.

(PC, Anadolu)





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