Islamabad, 20 December (TDI): Saudi delegates reached Islamabad on Friday to attend the 17th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit. The extraordinary session will be attended by the Council of Foreign Ministers.
Saudi Arabia proposed the moot last month, and Pakistan offered to host the sessions.
Moreover, the delegation explained that the OIC Member States would help mobilize international attention on the Afghan humanitarian crisis.
Therefore, the purpose of the summit is to convene Islamic and other countries to seek solutions for a growing economic and humanitarian crisis in the brotherly country. On the other hand, the Prime Minister of Pakistan appreciated the Saudi initiative. In that sense, he stressed his hope to adequately address the issue and avoid disengaging from Afghanistan.
Saudi Arabia’s participation and remarks in the OIC Summit
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as Chair of the Islamic Summit, called upon the OIC to urgently convene an Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting.
The Saudi delegation comprises Saudi Arabia’s Afghan affairs department head Abdullah bin Khalid bin Saud al-Kabir and Prince Jiluwi bin Turki. The Foreign Minister additionally attended the session. The officials were received by Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al Malki and senior officials from the Foreign Office.
On behalf of the Kingdom, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud delivered a speech. In his remarks, he mentioned that the Kingdom trusts in joint Islamic action to prevent the collapse of Afghan institutions.
Likewise, he highlighted that the Kingdom’s initiative to hold the meeting as a result of the necessary response to the serious humanitarian crisis.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that the situation of millions of Afghans deserves immediate action. He also pointed out that the consequences will not only be a human tragedy but they will also lead to more instability.
In that sense, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had a meeting with the President of the Islamic Development Bank. The Bank’s Headquarters is in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The officials agreed to provide holistic and sustainable solutions to the daunting challenges facing Afghanistan. The immediate urgent priority is to provide core necessities (food, shelter, clean water, child nutrition, healthcare, and cash transfer).
The Saudi minister indicated that the Kingdom has supported, over the past decades, a large number of humanitarian, educational, and food projects that have benefited Afghans, and will continue to do so.
