Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated on Tuesday in a multilateral meeting at the invitation of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and in the presence of the heads of delegations of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, on the sidelines of the work of the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly in its eighty-first session.
During the meeting, the latest developments in the situation in the Middle East were discussed, most notably the regional escalation and its repercussions on the security and stability of the region, and the challenges related to the security and freedom of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.
The meeting also reviewed efforts aimed at containing tensions, preventing the expansion of conflict in the region, and strengthening political and diplomatic paths to address existing crises.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, denounced the attempt of the terrorist Houthi militias to repeatedly target Mecca. Because this heinous crime represents a violation of the sanctity of sanctities and a provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz, when chairing the Cabinet session in Jeddah yesterday, appreciated the role of the Saudi military and security sectors and their brave heroes in defending the homeland and resolutely confronting any attack on the holy places, the guests of God, citizens and residents of the country.
On the other hand, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed by telephone yesterday ways to strengthen and develop relations between the two countries. The two sides reviewed developments in the region and the negative repercussions of the escalation on maritime navigation security and the global economy.
Saudi Arabia stressed the importance of protecting sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, in light of the harsh humanitarian conditions they face and the risks affecting their basic rights, stressing that their protection is closely linked to ensuring safe and unhindered maritime navigation, in accordance with the provisions of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
This came in a joint statement delivered by Ambassador Abdul Mohsen bin Khathila, the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, on behalf of a group of countries representing various regional regions, during the general discussion under item four within the work of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council.
In the statement, the Ambassador expressed deep concern about the continued exposure of sailors to insecurity and difficult living conditions, noting the casualties and injuries resulting from attacks on civilian ships among their crew members, at a time when a number of sailors are still facing challenges in obtaining food, drinking water, fuel, medicines and medical care.
He pointed to Human Rights Council Resolution No. 56/18, which states that seafarers represent a category of workers requiring protection, and that they do not bear responsibility for the conditions in which they find themselves, stressing the need to ensure the protection of their lives, health, safety and dignity in accordance with international law.
The statement welcomed the efforts made by the concerned parties to protect sailors, valuing in particular the humanitarian initiatives undertaken by some Arab Gulf states through their port and maritime affairs authorities, including search and rescue operations, providing basic supplies and medical assistance, showing flexibility in administrative procedures, and facilitating the process of changing ship crews.
At the conclusion of the joint statement, and on behalf of the group, Saudi Arabia called on countries to ensure the protection of sailors in Hormuz, and this comes as international calls continue to protect commercial ships and sailors and ensure the safety of navigation in the strait.
