Saudi-Africa Summit: “The President of the Republic Calls For the Unification of Positions To Confront the Genocide of the Palestinian People”
On 10 November, in Riyadh, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, the President of the Republic, thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince for convening the Saudi-Africa summit.
The President of the Republic, who was speaking at the opening of the summit, said that this meeting, which is being held in an extremely complex and dangerous international context, reflects the deep feeling of the urgent need for all to develop cooperation and
partnership, strengthen coordination, and unify positions, calling on his interlocutors to remain united in the face of crimes against humanity, genocide, and the heinous murder of children and women, living under systematic embargo.
He affirmed that the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are linked by brotherhood, religion, and history.
Here is the President’s full speech
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad,
– The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud;
– His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister,
– Their Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen Leaders of African States,
– His Excellency Mr. Moussa Faki, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission,
– Excellencies;
– Ladies and gentlemen;
At the outset, I would like to sincerely thank His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the valuable initiative of convening this summit due to its wisdom, insight, and his deep vision of the future.
I also congratulate my brothers, African leaders, for their presence today and desire to strengthen the partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The convening of this Saudi-Africa summit in the current international context, extremely complex and dangerous, reflects the deep feeling that we all have of our urgent need to develop cooperation and partnership, strengthen coordination, and unify our positions.
One of the most urgent forms of coordination and unification of positions today is to remain united in Africa and among the Arabs in the face of crimes against humanity, genocide, heinous murder of children and women, and the systematic blockade and starvation of the Palestinian people.
This is what our conscience dictates, and what laws and international law impose on us, and on which our Arab-African culture has been built.
His Royal Highness,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The religious status of the Kingdom, its privileged geostrategic positioning, its power of influence on the international scene, and its leading role in encouraging and supporting sustainable development make it an essential partner, particularly for African countries.
The African continent constitutes a vast investment space and a promising continental development hub due to its human energies and natural resources, and thanks to the vitality of its activity to achieve the objectives of Agenda 2063 and build sustainable development.
By strengthening the partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this continental development hub will offer opportunities for implementing numerous mega-development projects in many areas: infrastructure, renewable energies, digitalization, etc.
This constructive partnership is favored by the solidity of the relations of friendship and fraternity, the close cultural ties that unite the Kingdom and the African countries, and the common desire of two parties to overcome their security, economic, and environmental challenges together.
His Royal Highness,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are strongly linked by brotherhood, religion, and long-standing historical ties. These have resulted in fruitful and constructive cooperation, an effective strategic partnership, and regular and close coordination.
In this regard, I highly appreciate the generous and ongoing support that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia provides to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the countries of the African continent, in general, as a contribution to our construction and sustainable development efforts and support for our resilience in the face of the crises shaking the world.
I also salute the pioneering role in the launch of megaprojects and initiatives, such as the ‘Green Middle East’ initiative, affirming, in the same context, our support for the organization of Expo 2030.
While renewing my thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the valuable initiative it took in convening this summit, I hope that the results of our work will effectively contribute to deepening and diversifying the partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and African countries.
Thank you.”