US, Saudi Arabia stress humanitarian aid for Afghans

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States and Saudi Arabia have underlined the importance of continued humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan.

In a joint statement issued at the end of US President Joe Biden’s visit to the oil-rich kingdom, the two sides called for promoting the rights of the Afghan people, including the rights of women.

They stressed the girls’ right to education and availability of the highest attainable standard of health and, for women, the right to work.

Biden visited Saudi Arabia at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, with the two sides pledging to tackle key regional and international issues.

The US renewed its commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial defence, importantly, facilitating the kingdom’s ability to obtain necessary capabilities to defend its people and territory against external threats.

The joint statement said the two countries agreed on the need to deter Iran’s interference “in the internal affairs of other countries, its support for terrorism through its armed proxies.

They agreed on the importance of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The US and Saudi Arabia expressed their unwavering support for the UN-backed truce in Yemen that is currently seeking to be transformed into a lasting peace agreement.

The current situation in Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, the crisis in Syria, the Ukraine war, the Israel-Palestinian conflict and support for a two-state solution were among the issue discussed.

PAN Monitor/mud