His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the International conference on assistance and support to Beirut and the Lebanese people, organized by HE President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron and HE UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, via video conference, today, along with leaders from various other parts of the world. At the beginning of his speech at the conference, His Highness the Minister of Foreign Affairs offered condolences and sympathy to the people of Lebanon for the painful disaster that occurred in Beirut port, expressing his gratitude to Lebanon's friends in France and around the world that have gathered for this important meeting reiterating their support to the Lebanese people in the face of this tragedy. His Highness added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to send assistance in response to the tragic explosion. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, ordered the creation of an air bridge through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center to provide essential aid to the Lebanese people. His Highness said: "four planes have reached Beirut carrying a total of 290 tons of medical equipment, food supplies, and housing materials. This is in addition to the Center's relief efforts in Beirut where they distributed food baskets to victims." His Highness affirmed, "We, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stand with Lebanon and confirm the importance of conducting a transparent and independent investigation to uncover the causes that led to the horrific explosion and the multitude of victims and destruction it left in its wake. The Lebanese people have the right to live in their country with security and respect. Lebanon is in dire need of comprehensive reform, politically and economically, in order to ensure that such a disaster can never take place again." His Highness stated that the reform needed to ensure the political and economic future of Lebanon is dependent on strong state institutions that work in the true interest of the Lebanese people, and giving the state a monopoly on force, adding: "The continuation of the destructive dominance of the terrorist organization of Hezbollah raises concerns for us all. We are all aware of this organization's previously confirmed uses of explosive materials and its storage within civilian areas in Arab countries, Europe and the Americas." His Highness concluded his speech by repeating that the Kingdom's values the French Republic's invitation of the friends of Lebanon to stand together in emphasis of the stringent reform requirements requested by the international community aimed at assisting Lebanon out of this economic and political crisis. In addition, Saudi Arabia appreciates France's efforts galvanize international efforts to respond and provide the essential humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people and assist in enabling the Lebanese' people's desire for economic reforms.
