ZAGREB — As part of his current official visit to Croatia, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh met in Zagreb Sunday with Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman.

The minister referred to what he saw of coexistence and harmony among all individuals and components of the Croatian community despite their different faiths and races, which made them a model in peaceful coexistence and tolerance.

He also referred to the big efforts exerted by the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and the Crown Prince, in spreading the principles of moderation and respecting others out of their true understanding of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

The minister stressed that terrorism has no religion or nationality and that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has suffered a lot from terrorism and that it was among the first countries in combating terrorism, stressing the importance of joining international efforts to combat it and eliminate its roots through teaching people their religions without extremism, hatred or radicalization.

For his part, Radman expressed his gratitude and appreciation of Saudi Arabia for its generous grant for the victims and affected people from the earthquake that recently hit Zagreb and its suburbs. As for the bilateral cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Croatia, he said: "We affirm that this aspect is important to us and we know that there are a lot of joint issues that link us with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

He noted that the economic ties with Saudi Arabia are so important due to the fact that it is an influential country of the world, which makes us interested in enhancing these relations, and it is clear that we enjoy big political influence at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is important for the global security, stability and peace.

Meanwhile, the minister met with several leaders of faiths and university presidents in Croatia.

At the beginning of the meeting, Head of the Islamic Sheikhdom of the Republic of Croatia Sheikh Aziz Hasanovic delivered a speech that highlighted the distinguished relations between the two friendly countries, referring to the status of Saudi Arabia for the Croatian government and people.

Sheikh Dr. Al-Sheikh said that his visit to Croatia is a result of distinguished ties between the two countries with the aim of enhancing cooperation in fields that serve both countries, such as spreading tolerance, harmony and moderation, according to Islamic instructions.

The minister said Saudi Arabia, out of its pioneering role in the Islamic world and its wide influence, always seeks to support peaceful coexistence and interfaith dialogue among followers of various religions and cultures in the world, noting that the establishment of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) is part of the big action carried out by Saudi Arabia to spread the culture of dialogue and combat hate speech that contradict with the humanitarian values adopted and stressed by Islam.

He also reviewed Saudi Arabia’s effective role in preserving humanitarian and social values through supporting international conferences and efforts that call for protecting people’s rights and preserving their dignity.

For their part, Croatian officials praised the stances of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with their country and other nations that need help. — SPA