Brussels,  SPA:

 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has stressed the depth of relations with the European Union and the continuation of cooperation and partnership between them so as to enhance these relations in all fields.

 The kingdom reiterated the importance of the relationship between the Shura Council and the European Parliament that forms the foundations of dialogue between the two sides in light of international and regional developments witnessed by the world based on the kingdom's distinctive relations with the European countries as units and with the European Union as a group.

 This came in a speech by Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and head of the Saudi Mission to the European Union Ambassador Abdulrahman bin Suleiman Al-Ahmad before the mission of relations with the Arabian Peninsula at the European Parliament recently.

 The speech underlined the convergence of views between the kingdom and the EU in many core issue such as the achievement of peace in the Middle East, the fight against terrorism, and supporting international development programs.

 He explained that the EU is the first trade partner of the kingdom as bilateral trade volume reached 64 billion euros.

 On the situation in the region, Ambassador Al-Ahmad reiterated the kingdom's assertion that the issue of Palestine is the core issue in the Middle East and that a comprehensive, just and lasting peace can only be achieved with the complete withdrawal of Israel from all Arab territories occupied in 1967 and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem in accordance with the Arab peace initiative and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.

 The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg said, "The attacks on the Saudi missions in Iran drew wide condemnation from countries around the world and from regional and international organizations, including the UN Security Council, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

 He added, "The history of Iran is full of negative and aggressive interventions in the affairs of Arab countries including what are seeing in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Syria where it directly intervened through the Revolutionary Guards and Shiite militias from Lebanon and the world; the arrest of Iran-affiliated cells that smuggled explosives and weapons to Bahrain and Kuwait; the occupation of the three UAE islands; the Iranian regime's smuggling of weapons and explosives and planting terrorist cells in the region including the kingdom; and support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi militia in Yemen and Hijaz Hezbollah with money, training and weapons..."

Ambassador Al-Ahmad pointed out that the Iranian interventions do not serve the interests of Iran and do not serve world security and stability, stressing the kingdom's keenness on the security and stability of the region and all Arab countries and that it is very keen on resisting the aggressive Iranian goals and the movements.

 On the situation in Yemen, he reaffirmed the kingdom's full commitment to its unity and respect for its sovereignty and independence and rejection of any interference in its internal affairs in accordance with the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, the outputs of the comprehensive national dialogue and the Riyadh conference and the unconditional implementation of Security Council resolution 2216 (2015).

 He pointed out that the kingdom is doing all its best to help the people of Yemen by providing humanitarian and relief assistance and facilitating its entrance and coordination with UN agencies and international relief organizations.

 On the Syrian crisis, Ambassador Al-Ahmad touched on the firm position of the kingdom in preserving the unity of Syria and its stability and territorial integrity, and its eagerness to solve the Syrian crisis politically based on the principles of Geneva (1), and its support for the Syrian moderate opposition.

 The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg asserted the consistent position of the kingdom in renunciation of terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations and whatever its justification and source and draining its sources of funding, noting that the kingdom was one the first countries targeted by terrorism from several parties which sought to destabilize it and that its priorities require the defeat of terrorism whether it came in the form of parties such as Al-Qaeda organization or Daash or terrorism sponsored by Iran and its proxies.