The Arab Summit Conference started its 28th session in the Dead Sea region of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan today. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Arab Summit. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud delivered a speech at the Arab Summit in which he said: I am pleased to express my thanks and appreciation to the Jordanian King, Government and people for hosting this summit, praising its good organization. I thank the Islamic Republic of Mauritania under the leadership of President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz for its great efforts exerted during its presidency of the previous Summit. The grave events in our region must not distract us from our emphasis on the Palestinian cause which is central to our nation and seeking for finding a solution for it based on the resolutions of the international legitimacy and Arab peace initiative. The brotherly Syrian people are still being exposed to killing and displacement which requires finding a political solution to end this tragedy and preserve the unity of Syria and its institutions in accordance with Geneva Declaration 1 and United Nations Security Council resolution 2254. On the Yemeni affair, we emphasize the importance of preserving Yemen's unity and achieving its security and stability as well as the importance of the political solution to the Yemeni crisis according to the Gulf initiative, its executive mechanism, the results of the Yemeni national dialogue and Security Council resolution 2216. We also call for facilitating humanitarian access to various Yemeni regions. With regard to Libya, we believe that brothers in Libya should work to preserve Libya's security, stability and unity of its territories, renounce violence, fight terrorism, and achieve a political solution to end this crisis. Among the most serious threats confronting our Arab nation are extremism and terrorism which emphasizes the necessity for unifying efforts to combat them by all means. Interventions in the internal affairs of the Arab States represent a clear violation of the rules of the international law, the sovereignty of States and the principles of good neighborliness. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to the issues of development and economic cooperation among Arab countries; and it is important to activate all decisions aiming at developing and strengthening the joint Arab action in the economic field. The Arab League's restructuring, reforming and developing have become a necessary issue that should quickly be achieved. I pray to Allah for helping us all for the good of our Arab nation, wishing all success for the Summit. The Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein received the presidency of the Summit "Amman Summit" at its 28th ordinary session from Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of 27th Arab Summit, announcing the opening of 28th Arab Summit. The Jordanian King delivered the following speech: We stand today before grave challenges to the fate of our countries, peoples, and our nation. First is the threat of terrorism and extremism, which has set out to tarnish the image of our religion and hijack the future of young Arabs. It is therefore our duty to protect them from distortions to their religious and ideological beliefs, since terrorism poses a greater threat to Arabs and Muslims, who make up the majority of its victims. We must work together and with the world to counter this danger through a holistic approach. Second is Israel's continued settlement expansion and its work to undermine chances for peace. There can be no peace nor stability in the region without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, the core issue of the Middle East, based on the two-state solution. Jordan is closest to the Palestinian cause. Our martyrs have fallen while defending Palestinian land, and we are aware of the daily struggle of the Palestinian people, Jerusalemites in particular. The Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem is a historical responsibility Jordan is honored to undertake on behalf of the Arab and Muslim nations. We will continue to fight against any attempts to change the status quo and to stand up against attempts for temporal and spatial division of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, with your support and assistance. We must all work as one to safeguard Jerusalem and prevent attempts to create new facts on the ground that would have catastrophic consequences on the region's future and stability. Third, we hope that the recent talks in Geneva and Astana will bring about a breakthrough in the Syrian crisis, as it enters its seventh year, to launch an inclusive political process that involves all components of the Syrian people, maintains the territorial integrity of Syria, and guarantees the safety of its citizens and the return of refugees. In addition to Palestinian refugees, Jordan is hosting 1.3 million of our Syrian brothers and sisters, which makes the Kingdom the largest refugee host in the world. It is a burden we carry on behalf of our nation and the entire international community. Fourth, we reaffirm our support to the Iraqi government in its fight against terrorism, paving the way for an inclusive, comprehensive political process that safeguards the rights of all and establishes for a united and stable Iraq. Fifth, we express our support for efforts to restore stability and security in Yemen and Libya in order to build a bright future for their peoples. To that end, we must take the initiative and put forward ground-breaking solutions to pervasive challenges, in order to prevent foreign interference in our affairs. The first step is to agree on our key goals and interests, instead of continuing to hold annual meetings where we reiterate slogans that, we know, will not be translated into actual policies. We must seek shared solutions to our shared problems. Let this Summit launch a new phase of joint Arab action. Allow me to conclude by wishing you a pleasant stay in your second home, and I ask God to grant us success and to guide us to achieve the best interests of our Arab and Muslim nations.
