Riyadh: The State of Qatar participated yesterday in the ministerial meeting of the member states of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi represented the State of Qatar at the meeting.
In his speech during the meeting, he reiterated the State of Qatar’s commitment to participate in all international efforts aimed at eliminating ISIS, and its support to the coalition’s efforts to defeat it, expressing the State of Qatar’s appreciation to all state members for their support to the coalition.
He said that all member states had taken big steps in weakening ISIS’s capabilities, not just in Iraq and Syria but also in limiting their spread in Asia and Africa. Yet, all member states should remain vigilant not to create the conditions for their return by securing decent livelihoods and services for the residents in those areas.
The Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that ISIS still poses a grave threat to regional and international peace and security, and perhaps its spread in various places on the African continent is conclusive evidence that it still poses a real threat to the international community.
He called for the continuation of addressing the root causes of terrorism by preventing conflicts and settling them through convenient efforts and mediation, considering practical plans and ideas, and making strategic decisions to continue financing programs to combat extremism, restore basic services, and revitalize the local economy.
He noted the necessity to remember that the residents of Al Hawl and Al Roj refugee camps, mostly women and children, are living in unsafe and unhealthy conditions, exposing them to exploitation towards extremism and recruitment. His Excellency stressed the need for the displaced from Al Hawl and Al Roj refugee camps to return to their homeland and reintegrate them into society, including foreign terrorist fighters and their families, given the concern this file poses for everyone.
H E Dr. Al Khulaifi expressed the State of Qatar’s aspiration, through its charitable organizations, to work with its international partners to achieve stability in the areas liberated from the grip of ISIS.
