Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman receives at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Sunday French Minister of Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius and his accompanying delegation. The minister conveyed to the King the greetings of French President Francois Hollande. — SPA Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is not at war with Iran, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal said on Sunday, adding that he hoped Tehran ends its support for the Houthi militias in Yemen. In a joint press conference with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius in Riyadh, Prince Saud also said the 10-state anti-Houthi coalition launched on March 26 came after a request by the country's legitimate President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi. “We are not at war with Iran. The Kingdom was requested for assistance to restore legitimacy in Yemen and stop the war that was declared by the Houthis, who were striving to control all Yemeni land. For this reason, we provided assistance to Yemen with the participation of GCC and Arab countries for this objective,” he said. “We hope Iran adopts a policy to end this internal conflict in Yemen and not to provide support to the criminal activities being carried out by the Houthis against the legitimate government. It should stop arming and helping the Houthis,” the foreign minister said. The role the Iranians have played in Yemen “exasperated the problem which led to an increase in violence in the country,” he added. Prince Saud dismissed Iranian calls for an end to airstrikes on Yemen, saying Tehran should not interfere in the conflict. “How can Iran call for us to stop the fighting in Yemen ... We came to Yemen to help the legitimate authority, and Iran is not in charge of Yemen,” he said. Prince Saud said the international coalition campaign to defend legitimacy in Yemen was going on well according to the goals set for it. The coalition forces are targeting the Houthi militias, the forces of the ousted president and rebel forces, he said, adding that humanitarian efforts were continuing in cooperation with relevant international organizations such as the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Saudi-led “Operation Decisive Storm,” for which Fabius voiced his support during the press conference, has been targeting Houthi-held areas in Yemen in an effort to counter the militia's advance in the embattled country. “Concerning Yemen, we are here to demonstrate our support, especially political, to the Saudi authorities,” Fabius told reporters as he began a series of meetings with the Saudi leadership including Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. Fabius reaffirmed to his Saudi hosts that “France is naturally on the side of its regional partners for the restoration of stability in Yemen,” his entourage said. Paris, like Riyadh and Washington, considers Hadi as leader of the legitimate government of Yemen, which had supported a United States drone war against Al-Qaeda militants there. Prince Saud said a preliminary deal that aims to limit Iran's nuclear capabilities reached earlier this month with world powers could lead to more security in the region. “We are in agreement on the importance of the final deal leading to clear and binding conditions, in which there is no ambiguity. It ensures that the nuclear program does not turn into a military program,” he said, adding that the goals of security and stability in the region require abidance by the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries as well as respecting their sovereignty. Commenting on the crisis in Syria, the French minister said a solution would only be found with an all-inclusive Syrian government representing all of the country's political parties. Prince Saud said the continuing flow of weapons of all kinds to Bashar Al-Assad and his regime will hinder the aspired peaceful solution. Fabius stressed France's wish to see stability restored in the Mideast region in general and in Yemen in particular. He called for finding solutions that contribute to the return of the legitimate Yemeni government. Fabius said he presented the idea of setting up a project for civil nuclear power for the Kingdom through which the sources of energy can be increased and diversified. He promised to provide assistance to the Kingdom in this regard. Later, Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, second deputy premier and interior minister, held talks with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and his accompanying delegation. Fabius also met Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, minister of defense, chief of the Royal Court and special adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, as well as Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi. Meanwhile, President of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewal Energy (KACARE) Dr. Hashim Yamani and Fabius signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and training of national cadres in the field of nuclear energy.
