Oct 20,
2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Riyadh
The Saudi crown prince and president of the United Arab Emirates met on Friday, state media reported, as the two Gulf states held discussions amid a conflict between Israel and Hamas that threatens to engulf the Middle East.
Saudi state news agency SPA showed footage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
the kingdom’s de facto ruler, receiving UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan at Riyadh’s airport.
Sheikh Mohammed attended a summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Riyadh on Friday,
Saudi and UAE state media said.
GCC and ASEAN countries called for a durable ceasefire, the immediate
release of civilian hostages and detainees, and a two-state solution for the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a joint statement, published after
the summit.
Gulf states have been pressing Western allies and Israel to de-escalate
tensions in Gaza and lift a siege on the strip which has compounded the
humanitarian tragedy suffered by Palestinians in Gaza amid relentless Israeli
bombings.
Last year, Prince Mohammed and Sheikh Mohammed met when Prince Mohammed
visited Abu Dhabi to offer his condolences on the death of Sheikh Khalifa, the
UAE’s previous president. Sheikh Mohammed also visited Jeddah last year and the
two leaders met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in November.
Arab Weekly
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