Saudi Arabia: dialogue and co-operation is vital to address global security concerns

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the kingdom will push for regional and international talks

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the global community faces “significant difficulties” without co-operation. AFP

Saudi Arabia called for co-operation and dialogue to address regional and global security concerns on Tuesday, as the war in Ukraine continues.

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the international community must find mechanisms for dialogue, and the kingdom hopes to facilitate discussions.

“Even when there are differences we need to find a mechanism to talk to each other, the kingdom having relations with major players and playing a key role in the world, we hope we can facilitate some dialogue,” he told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Political and business leaders are gathered in the Swiss town for the meeting of the non-governmental lobbying organisation.

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat said his country strongly feels the need to help set the global agenda that helps address global security.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 to carry out what Moscow termed a “special military operation”. The conflict has sparked a food crisis, raising concerns as millions around the world rely on the country's exports.

Prince Farhan said the global community will face “significant difficulties” without co-operation.

Saudi Arabia strongly feels “that we have a responsibility to help the developing world” in this aspect. The kingdom must promote co-operation in the region, he said.

In April 2021, Saudi Arabia held talks with Iran to ease tensions in the Middle East. It was the first time since 2016 the two states had engaged.

Iraq offered to host the first round of direct talks between Tehran and Riyadh last year in Baghdad.

“We will continue the path of dialogue, our strong belief that dialogue and global co-operation as a whole is necessary and we need to make an example through fostering co-operation in our region too,” Prince Farhan said.

He said the kingdom’s 2030 vision that renews its economy and brings prosperity to the people of Saudi Arabia can only happen within a secure region.

“We can only do that if we have a safe secure region, a region that is stable and that can only happen with co-operation with all of our neighbours,” he said.

US congressman Gregory Meeks, who heads the US House of Representatives foreign affairs committee, said the threats posed by the war in Ukraine is not limited to Europe but to the rest of the world.

On consistency from US foreign policy, Mr Meeks said: “I’m optimistic, as Republicans and Democrats are not divided on the foreign policy front.”

The war in Ukraine “has showed us that it cannot be ‘America alone’, leadership is how we could work with others.”