RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto in the capital Riyadh, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.
The two sides held an official session of talks, in which the foreign minister welcomed Haavisto, who began his regional tour with a visit to the Kingdom after concluding a trip to Addis Ababa mandated by EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
The two sides agreed to join efforts to bridge the gap between the parties to the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, and to support all regional and international efforts in this regard.
During the talks, Haavisto praised the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative that were announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week, saying they are reflect on international efforts to protect the planet, reduce land degradation and protect coral reefs.
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir also met with Haavisto in Riyadh on Sunday.
“During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and the most prominent regional and international developments of common interest,” the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said.
Al-Jubeir also hosted a luncheon in honor of Haavisto and his accompanying delegation.
The Finnish minister also met with Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), to discuss cooperation between the Saudi-based organization and the EU in the humanitarian field.
The relief needs of African countries, particularly Sudan and Ethiopia, were also discussed.
Haavisto praised the performance of KSrelief and its charitable efforts around the world.
Meanwhile, Al-Rabeeah also met Serigne Mbaye Thiam, vice chair of the Global Partnership for Education’s board of directors, on Sunday.
During the meeting, the pair discussed the importance of education in developing countries around the world.
Thiam praised the KSrelief’s professionalism and its relief and humanitarian projects around the world, hailing KSrelief’s support for teachers and students.
Since launching in 2015, KSrelief has implemented 1,544 projects worth a total of almost $5 billion in 59 countries. The projects were carried out in cooperation with 144 local, regional and international partners.
According to a recent KSrelief report, the countries and territories that benefited the most from the center’s projects were Yemen ($3.5 billion), Palestine ($363 million), Syria ($305 million) and Somalia ($203 million).
