Saudi FM: Islamic Cooperation, Solidarity Now ‘Urgent Need’

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan declared that the Islamic world's current volatile conditions and numerous crises demand urgent cooperation and solidarity. He spoke at an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah.

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the region’s volatile conditions and multiple crises, coupled with the political, security, economic, social and humanitarian challenges facing the Islamic world, had made cooperation and solidarity an urgent necessity.

The meeting, which focused on the Palestinian cause, also saw the election of Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed as the new secretary-general of the 57-member organization. Saudi Arabia strongly condemned a new Israeli plan to build settlement units under the E1 project, warning it would isolate East Jerusalem and threaten the prospect of a viable Palestinian state. The kingdom reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people's right to an independent state based on the two-state solution and a just, lasting peace.

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the E1 project formed part of a broader policy to impose settlement realities and carry out gradual annexation on the ground.

Prince Faisal also outlined Saudi Arabia's vision for the OIC's future, stressing the need for serious reform to strengthen its ability to implement resolutions and improve institutional efficiency. He argued that no single country can tackle the interconnected challenges facing the Islamic world alone, making collective action and unified positions imperative to safeguard mutual interests. The minister highlighted the Islamic world's potential to be an effective participant in shaping international balances, contingent on solidarity and the ability to translate shared principles into effective collective action.

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No country can confront these interconnected challenges alone. This makes it imperative to strengthen collective action and unify positions and efforts to safeguard the interests of states and peoples.