Jeddah Arab League Summit — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: “We will not allow our region to become a field for conflicts”

JEDDAH — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues its march towards peace and prosperity, as affirmed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman during the 32nd ordinary session of the Arab League Council at the summit level, held in Jeddah on May 19, 2023.

Addressing the session, the Crown Prince, on behalf of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, welcomed the attendees to the Kingdom and emphasized Saudi Arabia’s commitment to peace, goodwill, cooperation, and development.

“In the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate, I declare the opening of the 32nd session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the summit level. We confirm to our neighboring countries and friends in the west and east that we are moving towards peace, goodness, cooperation, and construction in a way that achieves the interests of our people and preserves the rights of our nation. We will not allow our region to become a field for conflicts, It is enough to turn the page of the past. Those were painful years of conflicts that the region lived through and its peoples suffered from, and the path of development was hampered due to them,”

said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In a significant development, the Crown Prince welcomed the presence of President Bashar al-Assad at the summit following the Arab League’s decision to resume the participation of Syrian government delegations in the meetings of the Arab League Council.

“We are pleased today with the presence of President Bashar al-Assad at this summit and the issuance of the decision of the League of Arab States regarding the resumption of the participation of the Syrian government delegations in the meetings of the Arab League Council. We hope that this will contribute to supporting the stability of Syria and the return of matters to their normal course and resume its natural role in the Arab homeland in a way that achieves the good for its people and supports our aspirations all of us towards a better future for our region,”

he added.

Furthermore, he welcomed the agreement reached between Sudan’s warring parties and stressed the need for dialogue. The Crown Prince also expressed hope that the Jeddah Talks would lead to an effective ceasefire in Sudan. Additionally, he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a guest at the Arab League and reiterated Saudi Arabia’s readiness to mediate between Russia and Ukraine​​.

As for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s participation, it was his first appearance in an Arab League meeting since Syria’s suspension from the league in 2011. His attendance followed the recent decision by the Arab League to resume participation of Syrian government delegations in its meetings, hoping to support Syria’s stability​.

The league, a regional organization of Arab states, serves as a platform for member states to coordinate their policies and settle disputes, thus playing a crucial role in promoting regional stability and international peace and security.