‘KINGDOM CAN DEAL WITH ATTACKS ON OIL FACILITIES’

NEW YORK, Sept 17, (Agencies): Kuwait has condemned in the strongest terms the attack on two Saudi Aramco facilities in Abqaiq and Hijrat Khurais in Saudi Arabia last Saturday.

This came in Kuwait’s speech at the Security Council session on Yemen, delivered by Permanent Representative Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi. “The attack represents a flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” Al-Otaibi said. “We reaffirm our full support to Saudi Arabia and all measures taken to preserve its security, stability and territorial integrity.”

He pointed out that such attacks make it imperative to activate the arms embargo measures contained in the relevant Security Council resolutions. Al-Otaibi said that despite the passage of nine months after the entry into force of the Stockholm Agreement, the continued stalemate and lack of tangible progress, the continuation of the Redeployment Coordination Committee to hold its meeting and the parties agreement on the importance of adherence to the agreement of Hodeidah and the activation of the mechanism of calm and cease-fire is encouraging.

He expressed his wish to build on those meetings in a manner that leads to the implementation of the phases of the agreement as stipulated in the concept of operations and to make a tangible shift in creating an atmosphere of confidence between the parties leading to the implementation of an agreement to exchange prisoners, detainees and those forcibly disappeared. He called for the implementation of the Taiz understandings, which has been under siege for more than four years. Regarding the latest developments in a number of areas of southern Yemen, Al-Otaibi expressed concern over these events and looked forward to Saudi Arabia’s tireless efforts to host talks in Jeddah between the Yemeni government and representatives of the Southern Transitional Council.

Al-Otaibi expressed his hope that these efforts will ultimately lead to the return of security and stability in a way that preserves the unity and sovereignty of Yemen on its territory. His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah strongly condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s crude oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais Saturday.

This came in a phone call made to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, in which His Highness the Deputy Amir expressed his full support to Saudi Arabia and reiterated rejection to all kinds of terrorism. Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Acting Defense Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received on Tuesday, with presence of Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Khaled Al-Jarallah, a number of ranking officers of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces headed by Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Mohammed Al- Khodr and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army General Sheikh Abdullah Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled started the meeting by conveying confidence of the supreme political leadership in the armed forces.

He praised the armed forces efforts in preserving security of the country, namely all vital installations. He also reviewed the current regional situation and developments. He reiterated Kuwait’s condemnation of the attack on oil installations in Abqaiq and Khurais in Saudi Arabia; voicing Kuwait’s solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stability and safety of its people.

He stressed in this context on the need for caution and readiness to face any events that lead to destabilization of security and stability in the country and the region, calling on the commanders of the Armed Forces to intensify efforts to defend the country from any potential dangers. Saudi Arabia is capable of “dealing with the consequences of the cowardly attacks” on two plants in the heart of the Kingdom’s oil industry, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz said on Tuesday.