King in Jeddah: No security, stability without solution guaranteeing independent Palestinian state

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday, stressed that there can be no security, stability, nor prosperity in the region without a solution guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security.

In remarks at the Jeddah Security and Development Summit, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, the King said economic cooperation must include the Palestinian National Authority to ensure the success of regional partnerships, according to a Royal Court statement. 

“We must reaffirm the importance of reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, on the basis of the two-state solution; for there can be no security, stability, nor prosperity in the region without a solution guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security.

Citing the challenges the region and the entire world are facing, including the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Ukrainian crisis and its resulting energy and food woes, the King underlined the importance of cooperation and collective action, in pursuit of regional integration in food security, energy, transport, and water. “Jordan is keen on transforming these opportunities into real partnerships in the region.”

Following is the English translation of the King’s remarks at the Jeddah Security and Development Summit, which brought together members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United States, Egypt, and Iraq, as well as Jordan:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad

Your Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 

Your Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies, 

Mr President, 

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.

It is my pleasure to start by thanking my brother Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the gracious invitation, the warm welcome, and the hosting of this well-organised Summit.

Mr President,

Thank you for your participation in this Summit. Your presence today is a testament to the United States’ dedication to the stability of our region and our close and historic partnership. It underlines your leading role and efforts to bolster regional security and support peace and prosperity.

Your Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies,

We meet today as our region and the world face multiple challenges, from the economic repercussions of the COVID pandemic, and the ramifications of the Ukrainian crisis on energy and food, to the continuous conflicts that our region suffers from. Therefore, we must examine opportunities for cooperation and collective action, in pursuit of regional integration in food security, energy, transport, and water.

We in Jordan are keen on transforming these opportunities into real partnerships in the region, by capitalising on our historical and deep-rooted ties with Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and our brothers in Egypt and Iraq, in service of the interests of our peoples.

 We embark on these efforts out of our belief that the only way forward is through collective action. For we in Jordan continue to host over one million Syrian refugees, providing them with various humanitarian, health, and education services, while also countering the renewed security threats on our borders, by thwarting attempts to smuggle drugs and weapons, which now pose a major threat to the entire region.

We shoulder these responsibilities on behalf of the international community, which must carry on with its role in countering the impact of the refugee crisis on refugees and host communities.

Your Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies,

To ensure the success of the regional partnerships that we seek, economic cooperation must include our brothers in the Palestinian National Authority. And here, we must reaffirm the importance of reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, on the basis of the two-state solution; for there can be no security, stability, nor prosperity in the region without a solution guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security.

In conclusion, I again thank my brother Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their great efforts to enhance this cooperation and coordination, in service of our region and our world.

And I thank President Biden, once again, for his ongoing efforts to work towards peace, security, and prosperity in our region and our world.

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.”