Zuma for expanding economic relations with Saudi Arabia

Riyadh — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman held official talks with President Jacob Zuma of South Africa. At the outset of the meeting, King Salman delivered a speech in which he welcomed President Zuma and his accompanying delegation in their first visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques hailed the close ties binding the two countries and their peoples in various fields, particularly in political, economic and military fields. King Salman also said that South Africa is one of the major trading partners of the Kingdom. The Monarch appreciated the care given by South Africa to the region’s issues, particularly its stances towards the Palestinian cause. ‘We stress the importance of continued cooperation and consultation on international and regional issues, particularly the reforms in the United Nations Organization and the fight against terrorism and extremism, whose evils have affected most of the countries of the world,’ King Salman said. ‘Regarding the Syrian crisis, we hope that international efforts will resolve the crisis in accordance with Geneva I decisions. In Yemen, we hope that peace and security are achieved, and that Yemeni-Yemeni consultations sponsored by the United Nations will achieve a political solution based on UN Security Council resolution No. 2216,’ the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said. For his part, South Africa's President expressed happiness on visiting the Kingdom and thanked King Salman for the warm reception and hospitality, stressing his country's keenness on strengthening the partnership with the Kingdom and continuing to develop it. He praised the depth of relations between the two friendly countries. The South African President pointed out the reputable position of the Kingdom in different regional and international arenas. Following the talks session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and President of South Africa attended the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of South Africa. The MOU was co-signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir and South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana Mashabane.