Saudi Foreign Minister: "Cooperation with China does not mean non-cooperation with America"

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan affirmed that "cooperation with China does not mean non-cooperation with America," noting that Iran is part of the region and a neighbor, and we will continue to extend a hand and hear positive statements from it.

On Friday evening, the work of the Arab-Chinese Summit in Riyadh, which was held during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Kingdom, concluded in order to enhance cooperation between Arab countries and Beijing.

Bin Farhan said, during a joint press conference with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Nayef Al-Hajraf, at the conclusion of the summit today, Friday, "China is a major player on the international arena, and despite that, we do not believe in polarization or choosing between one partner and another." .

He added, "Competition is a positive thing, and we must avoid polarization," and we must "be open to cooperation with everyone."

The Saudi foreign minister affirmed, "Building a strong relationship with China is a top priority, and we will pursue our interests," stressing that "our foreign policy is based on supporting the development and prosperity of the Saudi people."

Bin Farhan explained that cooperation with everyone is the kingdom's philosophy, pointing out that "our partnership with Washington exists. Saudi Arabia's strategic location allows China to build bridges."

"We discussed working to reach a free trade agreement between China and the countries of the Cooperation Council," bin Farhan said, noting that communication with China constitutes an extension of permanent communication with all countries of the world.

He added that focus has been placed on qualitative decisions that support the areas of economic development with China, stressing that the Kingdom does not deal with one path, and "we are open to everyone, and we believe in multilateral cooperation, and the relationship with China is deeper than just an issue of armaments."

Bin Farhan stressed that "cooperation with the second largest economy is necessary, but it does not mean non-cooperation with the first economy" in reference to the United States of America, stressing: "We have strategic partnerships with America, India, China, Japan and Germany."

Bin Farhan said that the Arab-Chinese summit stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between Arab countries and China, stressing that cooperation with China would address many challenges.

He stressed that China is very keen on the stability and security of the region, pointing out that the China-Arab Cooperation Forum was not born today, but dates back to 2004.

Minister Bin Farhan said, "The Kingdom is an active player in the political arena, and it has an important role in the world," adding that "economic development is the source of our foreign policies."

For his part, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, affirmed that "the Riyadh Declaration includes a common vision."

He expressed his hope that the implementation and follow-up of the Riyadh Declaration and the Arab-Chinese summit will continue.

Regarding the water file, Aboul Gheit affirmed, "The Arab countries support Egypt and Sudan in their water security," repeating the statements of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the summit, saying, "A legal and binding agreement must be reached on the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam."

He explained that "no one claims to ignore the United States because it is the largest economy in the world."

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Nayef Al-Hajraf, said that "collective action is a guarantee of securing stability and security," stressing "the continuation of the process of economic integration and development."

Nayef Al-Hajraf added that the security and stability of the Gulf region are important to the security and stability of the world.

It is noteworthy that Riyadh hosted 3 summits after the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, on a 3-day official visit, during which he held bilateral meetings, and participated in 3 summits, which is a Saudi-Chinese summit chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Chinese President, And the participation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and a Gulf-Chinese summit with the participation of leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and an Arab-Chinese summit with the participation of leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab countries.

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