Saudi, Pakistani leaders reaffirm support for Palestinians

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Saturday reaffirmed ​their full support for "all the legitimate rights" of the Palestinians, especially their right to self-determination and establishment of their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The reaffirmation was made during a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Jeddah, according to a joint statement released by Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

"​In the constructive spirit of discussions, the two sides reaffirmed their full support for all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially, their right to self-determination and establishment of their independent state with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant UN resolutions," the statement read.

Khan is on a three-day visit to the Kingdom.

​Welcoming the recent understanding reached between Pakistani and Indian militaries to honor a 2003 cease-fire at the Kashmir border, MBS emphasized the importance of dialogue between the two nuclear-powered neighbors to resolve the outstanding issues, especially the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute, to "ensure peace and stability in the region."

​Discussing the situation in Afghanistan, the two sides, underlining that an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement is the only way forward, urged the Afghan parties to realize the "historic" opportunity for achieving a political settlement in the war-ravaged country.

The two leaders agreed to continue mutual consultations on the fragile Afghan peace process, aiming to bring an end to the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan.

- Middle East

They also expressed their support for political solutions in Syria and Libya, as well as the efforts of the UN and its envoys in this regard.

Stressing the need for "concerted" efforts by the Muslim countries to confront extremism and violence, reject sectarianism, and strive to achieve international peace and security, they reaffirmed that "terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group."

The two sides also stressed the importance of supporting efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the conflict in Yemen based on the Gulf Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue, and the relevant Security Council resolutions.

They condemned the attacks of "terrorist groups and militias, including Houthi militias," by ballistic missiles and drones on Saudi territory.

"They expressed serious concern at the threats posed to the security of oil exports and the stability of energy supplies, which was vital for the progress and development of the region and its peoples," the statement went on to say.

Khan praised the Kingdom's role in the resolution of the crisis in Yemen.

The discussions also focused on increasing cooperation in other fields, including energy, science, technology, agriculture and culture. Both sides expressed satisfaction at existing cooperation in bilateral military and security relations and agreed to augment collaboration and cooperation further to achieve mutually agreed goals.