New Delhi, December 16, 2011: The situation in the Middle East revolves around four major aspects – political changes; the role of Iran, especially in nuclear issues and interference in the affairs of other nations; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the creation and exploitation of terrorist enclaves, emphasised His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal, Chairman of King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), former Chief of General Intelligence and former Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the US and UK. HRH was delivering a talk on “The Ongoing Developments in the Middle East and the Importance of Bilateral Relations between Saudi Arabia and India” at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) on Thursday, December 15, 2011.
Addressing the gathering, HRH said that Saudi Arabia is stable and secure under the leadership of King Abdullah, even in the midst of the regional turmoil and will continue to use its vast resources to assist its neighbours. He further added that the nation needs to find alternative fuel sources in order to achieve energy independence and protect the environment. The Saudi Arabian Government is investing in solar energy and nuclear power plants so that these may play a leading role in augmenting oil as the primary energy source.
Highlighting Saudi Arabia’s relations with India and other nations, HRH noted that Indo-Saudi relations are based upon mutual tolerance and goodwill, which is further deepened following mutual visits by the country’s leaders and signing of the Delhi and Riyadh Declarations in recent years. Responding to a query on export of extremist ideologies from Middle East, HRH stressed upon the need to understand the roots of Islamic streams of thought and practice and the role of modern communication technologies in assigning unintended meanings to terms, such as jihad. He further insisted that resolving the Kashmir issue and Durand Line is crucial to lasting peace in the Indian sub-continent.
Speaking about Saudi Arabia’s relations with Afghanistan, he said that his country has played an intermediary role in talks between the Karzai Government and the Taliban. HRH gave out specific examples to indicate progressiveness, security and stability in Saudi Arabia and stressed that the forward looking reforms undertaken by King Abdullah will continue under any future leadership.
With regards to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, he noted that Saudi Arabia would be against any military strike on Iranian nuclear installations, unless authorised by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He further reiterated that Saudi Arabia viewed sanctions against Iran as effective in constraining the latter’s nuclear ambitions, while recalling the joint proposal by Egypt and Iran in 1974 to create a Middle East Nuclear Weapons Free Zone. Iran is publicly supportive of such a zone and hence needs only be pushed towards it. He stressed that any steps taken by the GCC and other regional countries towards acquiring nuclear weapons should be preceded by a very careful study of and a public debate on the threats they face.
On developments in Syria, HRH spoke about the need for Arab leaders to regularly monitor the situation and take action if required to end the killings of innocent people. He noted that such a situation is not sustainable and the Arab League has taken a bold step by suspending Syria and imposing sanctions.
Speaking on the American presence in Afghanistan, HRH assured that continued US presence in the country would be met with resistance. He also pointed out that the Taliban as a political force may not enjoy much popular support among the Afghan population and there must be concerted efforts to incentivise the population against participating in violence. With regard to Saudi Arabia’s relations with Turkey, the relationship is seen as a welcome engagement, especially since it is a very transparent relationship.
Solution to Kashmir Issue and Durand Line key to Peace in South Asia: HRH Faisal