Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal - who will deliver a speech at the United Nations 65th General Assembly session Tuesday - is expected to highlight various issues confronting the globe including terrorism and the Mideast peace process, which hangs in the balance following the expiry of a settlement slowdown on Sept. 24. Excerpts from his speech released by the Saudi Press Agency quote him as saying: “We all hope that Israel will take this valuable opportunity to respond, albeit belatedly, to the Arab overtures for peace and to the international consensus based on the necessity of applying the two-state solution in order to put an end to this sanguinary conflict.” “The Mideast problem persists in being one of the largest obstacles to world peace and security. In fact, Israeli occupation seems to remain the only colonial polity after the decline of colonialism and the end of policies of ethnic discrimination.” In his address, he will stress the need for coordinated efforts between member states, the UN and international and regional bodies, to confront the threat of terrorism. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made numerous contributions in the field of counter-terrorism in order to further the endeavors being made to combat this dangerous phenomenon.” Prince Saud will also address the ongoing tussle between Iran and the world community. “With regard to the Iranian nuclear program, Saudi Arabia emphasizes the importance of reaching peaceful solutions, and supports the efforts of the 5+1 group in this direction which maintain the rights of Iran and the states of the region to the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy in accordance with the safeguards and standards of the International Atmoic Energy Agency.”
