Turkey – Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said on Sunday that the Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council, whose founding protocol was signed today, will serve as a mechanism to achieve the aspirations of the two countries in all fields.
This came during a joint press conference he held with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, following a meeting that brought them together on Sunday at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
The Saudi Foreign Minister described the council as “an institutionalized mechanism that brings together all parties in the Kingdom with their counterparts in Turkey to achieve aspirations in the political, diplomatic, economic, or cultural fields by setting clear agendas and following up on initiatives with specific criteria through which we can set a roadmap for the future.”
He pointed out that the most important thing that was accomplished today in the meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister was the signing of the Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council Protocol.
Ibn Farhan pointed out that he discussed with Fidan bilateral relations, the steady development taking place in them, and developments on the regional scene.
He pointed out that the volume of trade between Turkey and Saudi Arabia reached 6.8 billion dollars, with a growth of 15 percent in the last year.
“We are determined to explore more opportunities for economic and development cooperation between the two countries,” Bin Farhan said.
He expressed his aspiration for “more economic cooperation” with Turkey “in light of the economic capabilities and common vision enjoyed by the two brotherly countries.”
He added that he is the fourth Saudi minister to visit Türkiye this month.
He considered that this “indicates the great interest of Saudi Arabia and Turkey in achieving cooperation.”
The Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council will be held in the capital, Riyadh, later this year, according to Ibn Farhan.
Regarding the situation in Gaza, the Saudi Foreign Minister stressed the similarity of ideas with Turkey regarding the situation in the Strip.
He stressed the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and allowing humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian people.
Ibn Farhan considered that increasing the number of countries that recognize Palestine revives hope for implementing the two-state solution.
He said: “Therefore, we will continue together (with Turkey) to coordinate to achieve more recognition and promote the importance of a peaceful solution.”
Recently, Spain, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia and Armenia announced their official recognition of the State of Palestine, following the devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, in a move that was welcomed by Palestinians, Arabs and the international community, bringing the number of countries that recognize Palestine to 149 out of 193 countries in the United Nations General Assembly.
The Saudi minister also stressed that “the two countries are seeking to revive the peace process in the region and continue efforts to stop the Israeli killing and destruction machine, prevent the forced displacement of Palestinians, enable humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, and grant the Palestinian people the right to self-determination by establishing an independent and internationally recognized Palestinian state,” according to what was reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the Saudi Foreign Minister on Sunday at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent.
The meeting between the two sides took place in the presence of Fidan, and away from the media lenses.
Anatolia
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2024-07-15 16:08:39
