Saudi Gazette report

COLOMBO — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed Al-Khuraiji pledged Saudi Arabia’s support for all the efforts of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to confront the challenges faced by maritime safety and global trade as well as to ensure security for free global navigation. “These goals can be achieved by taking advantage of the great potential available through regional interconnection, with a focus on empowering youth and protecting the future of the planet Earth,” he said.

Al-Khuraiji made these remarks in his speech, delivered on behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, at the 23rd Council of Ministers’ Meeting of IORA in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday. The deputy minister expressed the Kingdom’s aspiration for more cooperation and work with the IORA countries as a dialogue partner, in a manner consistent with achieving the common interests of countries and peoples.

Al-Khuraiji stressed that the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 works to achieve comprehensive sustainable development goals. “In this context, the Kingdom’s foreign policy begins to advance the wheel of regional and international development,” he said while highlighting the importance of the participation of IORA members in promoting stability, economic diversity and prosperity within and among their countries.

The deputy minister said that the Kingdom aspires to continue building joint coordination in various fields to overcome common challenges and take advantage of the opportunities provided by the partnership between the Kingdom and the countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

Al-Khuraiji said that the Kingdom is fully aware of the challenges posed by climate and environmental change, and that it is committed to working with member states to exchange information, build expertise, develop effective methods that will protect coral reefs, biodiversity, and the marine environment, and provide future generations with opportunities and sustainable development.

The IORA ministerial meeting, which concluded on Wednesday, discussed six priority topics such as trade and investment, maritime safety and security, fisheries management, disaster risk management, women’s empowerment, and blue economy. The meeting was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka Khalid Al-Qahtani.