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Saudi Arabia does not seek war, won’t hesitate to protect territory: Mouallimi
Saudi Arabia does not seek war, but will not hesitate to protect its territory from its enemies, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah al-Mouallimi, said on Monday during a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East in New York.
“We do not seek war. We do not want it nor do we want to ignite it. But at the same time we will not hesitate to protest our territory from any enemies. We will not hesitate to defend our citizens and the capabilities of our country by all legitimate means,” al-Mouallimi said.
In relation to the September 14 attacks on two Saudi Aramco facilities in Abqaiq and Hijrat Khurais, the ambassador called on the international community to take a firmer stance against “destructive policies that support terrorism, fuel sectarianism in the region, support armed militias, and seek to dismantle the states of the region and provoke sedition and threaten the security of supplies.”
Al-Mouallimi said, “It is clear to us that these and other attacks on international energy supplies and missile attacks on my country are a challenge to the Kingdom’s firm and strong policies as well as international action at various levels to counter terrorism that is exported to the region and to interfere in the internal affairs of its countries.”
The ambassador also condemned the Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria, saying that measures that could further aggravate the crisis in Syria should be avoided. He added that the military operation undermined international efforts to combat ISIS in the area and is a threat to the safety of Syria.
Saudi Arabia welcomed the creation of a United Nations-sponsored constitutional committee by the Syrian government and the opposition, after two years of negotiations, Al-Mouallimi told the Security Council, adding that the Kingdom welcomes this announcement “which is in accordance with the UN Resolution 2254.”
Saudi Arabia considers it a vital step toward reaching a political solution which will put an end to the Syrian people’s plight, guaranteeing a safe return of the Syrian refugees, he said.
Al-Mouallimi also reiterated the Kingdom’s support for the Palestinian cause, and added that the Israeli occupation is a violation of international law.
Speaking on the situation in Yemen, the ambassador said that Saudi Arabia has been providing its full support to ensure the safety of the Yemeni people and to help restore stability in the country, including providing more than $14 billion in aid.
