Saudi Gazette report

NEW YORK — Saudi Arabia emphasized the need to end the Israeli occupation and establish an independent and viable Palestinian state as the only way to achieve security and stability in the region.

This was stated by Dr. Manal Hassan Radwan, advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while co-chairing on Friday the preparatory meeting for the high-level international conference for a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution.

The international conference is scheduled to be held from June 17 to 20. The French side was headed by Anne-Claire Legendre, advisor to the French president, at the meeting, which saw broad participation from UN member states.

In her speech during the opening session, Radwan, who leads the Saudi delegation to the meeting, stressed that the Kingdom, in partnership with France, seeks to make this conference a historic turning point toward a just and lasting peace. “Ending the war, releasing hostages and detainees, and ensuring comprehensive security can only be achieved through a credible political plan that addresses the roots of the conflict,” she said while commending the reforms launched by the Palestinian leadership.

Radwan stressed the importance of the international community's support for the Palestinian government. She also affirmed the Kingdom's steadfast commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative and its pivotal role in launching the "Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution," in partnership with the European Union and Norway.

The meeting witnessed a review by the 19 countries and organizations co-chairing the eight working groups emanating from the conference, during which briefings were provided on the progress made in preparing the expected outcomes for each group.

The meeting, which was attended by UN Undersecretary General for Political and Peace-building Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, also witnessed affirmations from member states of their full support for the Kingdom and France, commending the efforts of the working groups, and affirming their commitment to participating with practical proposals and ideas that would contribute to the success of the forthcoming international conference.