Riyadh (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – European Council President Charles Michel met with Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister in Riyadh.
What Key Issues Did Michel and Prince Mohammed bin Salman Address in Riyadh?
As the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), met with European Council President Charles Michel. According to the SPA, the two sides debated ties, cooperation, and opportunities to enhance them between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the European Union nations, as well as regional and international situations and actions taken to achieve security and stability in the region and the world.
The SPA noted that Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Saudi Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Haifa Al-Jedea, EU Special Representative for the Gulf region Luigi Di Maio, EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud, and several other senior officeholders at the European Council attended the meeting.
The President of the European Council Charles Michel arrived in Riyadh on 28 August 2024.
He was welcomed at King Khalid International Airport by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Protocol Affairs Abdulmajeed bin Rashid Al-Samari. The chief of the mission of Saudi Arabia to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community Haifa Al-Jedea also accommodated Michel.
What Is the EU’s Stance on the Gaza Situation According to Charles Michel?
President of the European Council, Charles Michel called for a truce in the Gaza Strip and respect for international law, restating the EC’s support for efforts exercised by the United Nations to bring aid and vaccines to the Strip.
“We support the entry of basic food and health items into the Gaza Strip, and international humanitarian law must be respected everywhere,” he stated in statements, according to the Palestinian news agency, noting that the occupation of the West Bank is illegal.
Michel emphasised that the EU Council endorses the efforts of the United Nations in bringing aid and vaccines to the Gaza Strip. He indicated that the council aims to coordinate efforts with the countries of the region to cease fire, stating that the situation in Gaza is catastrophic” and “we are trying to evade further escalation in the region,” noting that the leaders of the European Union arrange on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.
