His Majesty King Abdullah, as president of the 28th Arab Summit, delivered on Sunday the opening speech of the 29th Arab Summit, held in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, with the participation of a number of Arab leaders and heads of delegations.

Thanking Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia for the hospitality, King Abdullah praised Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the staff of the Arab League for their efforts during Jordan’s presidency of the 28th Arab Summit, and their work to follow up on its decisions and recommendations.

“Last year, we had the honour and the responsibility of assuming the presidency of the Arab Summit. We reaffirmed the need to bolster and activate joint Arab action, and adopted comprehensive and lasting peace as a strategic Arab option—in accordance with international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative,” His Majesty said in the speech.

During its presidency, Jordan exerted all efforts, in close coordination with other Arab countries, to meet the challenges facing the Arab world, the King noted, stressing the centrality of the Palestinian cause.

“We must reaffirm the eternal rights of Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and Christians to Jerusalem, which is the key to peace in the region and must be the cornerstone for achieving a comprehensive solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative,” His Majesty stressed.

Affirming that the Palestinians’ commitment to the two-state solution and to rejecting violence is an unequivocal testament to their unwavering commitment to peace, the King said it is Arab countries’ collective duty to stand with the Palestinians and to support their steadfastness in their struggle to gain their legitimate rights to independent statehood, and to living in peace and security.

His Majesty added that “it is our duty and our shared responsibility as an Arab group, and it is the duty of the international community” to support UNRWA to ensure it continues to provide humanitarian and social services to Palestinian refugees until a fair and just solution is reached to their cause.

“Any obstruction of the vital services of UNRWA will negatively impact over 5 million Palestinian refugees in the region,” the King warned.

Turning to the Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, the King asserted that it is a historical duty and responsibility “that we are proud to carry”.

“We will persevere in upholding this responsibility, in coordination with our brothers at the Palestinian National Authority and with your support. And we will continue strengthening the resolve of Jerusalemites and counter any attempts to change the identity of the holy city, impose new facts on the ground, or change the historical and legal status quo,” His Majesty affirmed.

In his speech, the King paid tribute to the positive developments in Iraq, congratulating Iraqis on the victory over Daesh.

“We congratulate them and affirm our support for them in defeating the khawarej. We also stress the importance of building on this military victory through an inclusive political process,” His Majesty noted.

Referring to the Syrian crisis, the King said Jordan has supported all initiatives to push the political process forward and ensure de-escalation on the ground, as part of the ongoing pursuit of a political solution that involves all components of the Syrian people, maintains the territorial integrity of Syria, and guarantees the safety of its citizens and the return of refugees.

“We have affirmed that these efforts support the Geneva track, and do not replace it,” His Majesty noted.

“We reaffirm our commitment to good neighbourly relations, and we believe that shared regional interests require countering any attempts to intervene in the internal affairs of Arab states, instigate strife and sectarian conflict, or threaten their security in any shape or form,” the King stressed.

His Majesty noted that the Arab group must step up diplomatic efforts with all regional and international organisations “to take on the mounting challenges facing our Arab world”.

In concluding the speech, the King, as president of the previous Arab Summit held in Jordan in March 2017, handed over the presidency to King Salman of Saudi Arabia.

His Majesty also headed Jordan’s delegation at the Summit, which included Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, Special Adviser to His Majesty Ali Fazza, and Jordan’s Ambassador to Cairo and the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative at the Arab League Ali Ayed.

During its presidency of the 28th Arab Summit, Jordan worked to reach political solutions to crises in Arab countries, and exerted efforts to implement the Amman Declaration decisions, with the aim of strengthening cooperation, activating joint Arab action, and countering challenges facing the Arab world.