A delegation from the European Parliament, led by the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister, visited Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) from 19 to 20 December 2022.
The visit took place in the context of the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and the dramatic geopolitical changes that have occurred since.
“2022 marks the greatest turning point in our security policy since the end of the Cold War. In our foreign policy, we need to adapt to these new realities to ensure that our goals are consistent with our means. This week’s visit to Saudi Arabia is part of our effort to reach out to a key partner in the Middle East region”, said David McAllister(EPP, Germany).
He also thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its support for the UN General Assembly resolutions of 2 March and 12 October 2022, on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and on the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. MEPs also stressed the link between energy prices and the security of supply and emphasised that sanctions against Russia are essential.
On a more general note, David McAllister welcomed the socio-economic transformation that Saudi Arabia is witnessing.
“I am impressed by the range and scale of the societal changes that Saudi Arabia has experienced since the last time a foreign affairs committee parliamentary delegation visited the Kingdom, in particular as regards the role of women in society, in public administration and in the economy”, he said.
The visit comes following the publication of the European Commission/European External Action Service Joint Communication on a ‘Strategic Partnership with the Gulf’. While welcoming the new EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) alignment, MEPs shared with the Saudi and the GCC leadership their support for initiatives fostering Gulf unity and stability, and discussed ways to improve and develop the cooperation with both Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, especially global and regional stability, but also on energy and food security, the green transition, economic diversification and human rights. Members clearly communicated that the visit aimed to send a signal of continued dialogue with other countries from the region during the current corruption allegations related to Qatar.
During the meeting with the Shura Council represented by H.E. Dr Meshaal Al Salami, Deputy Chairman of the Shura Council, H.E. Dr Hanan Al Ahmadi, Assistant Speaker of the Shura Council and other members of the Shura, both sides underlined the importance of finding political solutions to the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. The political deadlock in Lebanon and the political situation in Iraq are also a matter of great concern. The role of Iran in the region was also discussed.
In the discussion with the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Walid Al-Khureiji, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy, H.E. Adel Al-Jubeir, MEPs focussed on the urgent need for political stabilisation in the region and the importance of addressing Iranian influence and its destabilising activities through its proxies in the region and beyond, as there is currently a momentum to address this at the international level. The Saudi counterparts underlined that pragmatism, rather than ideology, should drive any lasting solution bringing security, stability and prosperity to the region. The potential of a free trade agreement and of a reciprocal visa waiver scheme, as well as the recent Saudi Arabia-China and GCC-China summits were also discussed. MEPs met with the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership of Council of the Republic of Yemen, H.E. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, and discussed the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen and ways to support a UN-led sustainable peace settlement of the conflict through a long-term political solution. Members took note of the difficult maritime security situation in the Gulf of Aden.
In their meeting with the Minister of Energy, H.R.H Prince Abdulaziz Salman Al Saud, MEPs touched upon the EU and Saudi Arabia’s shared objective to diversify energy sources and to develop new sustainable forms of energy. The Kingdom’s support for the Green Initiative and Green Middle East initiative, as ambitious means for enhancing regional and worldwide collaboration on green transition, were also discussed, with a strong emphasis on standardising the use of hydrogen, knowledge sharing in innovation and technical skills in sustainability and the need to harmonise the initiative in order to accelerate the green transition and decarbonisation.
In the meetings with the Deputy Minister for Justice, Najem Al Zeid, and with H.E. Dr. Hala Al-Tuwaijri, the President of the Human Rights Commission, MEPs welcomed the regular dialogue on human rights between the EU and Saudi Arabia, as a fundamental framework for a frank exchange on a key component of the EU’s foreign policy. MEPs took stock and welcomed the ongoing modernisation of the legal and judicial systems, including on women’s empowerment, family and evidence law, and digitalisation. However, MEPs reiterated Parliament’s critical and principled opposition to the death penalty, especially the status of capital punishment of minors, while deploring the fact that the de facto moratorium on drugs-related cases has not been respected. MEPs also stressed the need to avoid long-term and punitive measures against those who advocate for freedom of expression. Finally, Members welcomed the release of the recipient of the 2015 Sakharov Prize, Saudi blogger Raif Badawi after serving his sentence but called for his right of freedom of movement to be fully restored.
Source – EU Parliament