JDDAH (UNA-OIC) – The Jeddah Security and Development Summit stressed in its final statement the staratigeic relationship among its participant countries and the urgent need to furthur inhance security and stability in the Middle East and worldeide.
The summit was convened at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, where the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Iraq, and the United States of America held a joint summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 16, 2022, to underscore the historic partnership among their countries and to deepen their countries’ joint cooperation in all fields.
The leaders welcomed President Biden reiterating the importance the United States places on its decades-long strategic partnerships in the Middle East, affirming the United States’ enduring commitment to the security and territorial defense of U.S. partners, and recognizing the region’s central role in connecting the Indo-Pacific to Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
They also affirmed their joint vision towards a peaceful and prosperous region, stressing the importance of taking all necessary measures to preserve the region’s security and stability, developing joint areas of cooperation and integration, collectively confronting common threats, and abiding by the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Biden reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive Middle East peace. The leaders emphasized the need to bring about a just resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict on the basis of two-state solution, noting the importance of the Arab Initiative. They stressed the need to stop all unilateral measures that undermine the two-state solution, to preserve the historical status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, emphasizing the crucial role of the Hashemite Custodianship in that regard.
The leaders also stressed the importance of supporting the Palestinian economy and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). President Biden commended the important roles played by Jordan and Egypt, and the members of the GCC, and their support for the Palestinian people and institutions.
The leaders renewed their commitment to enhance regional cooperation and integration, and build joint projects between their countries to achieve sustainable development and collectively address the climate challenge through accelerating climate ambition, supporting innovation and partnerships, including the Circular Carbon Economy Framework, and developing renewable sources of energy. In this context, the leaders commended the finalization of the agreements to connect electrical grids between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iraq, and between Saudi Arabia and Jordan and Egypt, as well as connecting the electrical grids between Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.
