International Cooperation To Defeat ISIS Highlighted At Riyadh Meeting Led By Saudi Arabia

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji and United States Special Envoy for Syria Ambassador Thomas Barrack co-chaired in Riyadh a meeting of political directors from the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, where participating states discussed joint action against the group and welcomed the Syrian Arab Republic as the coalition’s 90th member.

During the session, Vice Minister Elkhereiji underlined that continued international work against transnational terrorism remains essential, warning that ISIS still threatens the security and stability of societies, and calling on all partners to maintain a strong shared commitment to peace, stability, and the protection of civilian populations in affected regions.

Elkhereiji highlighted the importance of recent moves by the Syrian government, stating that Saudi Arabia supports steps that advance unity, stability, and peace in Syria, and noting that these measures align with the aspirations of the Syrian people while also strengthening the wider efforts of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

The vice minister welcomed Syria’s assumption of responsibility for several detention centres and displacement camps that hold ISIS fighters and their families, stressing that such moves are important for long-term security, while also reiterating Saudi Arabia’s backing for all efforts that reinforce stability and limit spaces where extremist groups might reorganise.

Addressing how extremist networks operate, Elkhereiji warned that terrorist groups continue to adjust their methods, explaining that they use conflict, institutional weakness, and humanitarian crises to their advantage, adding further emphasis by stating: "Experience has proven that terrorist organizations, foremost among them ISIS, are capable of adapting and changing their tools and methods, exploiting protracted conflicts, weak institutions, and fragile humanitarian situations."

Elkhereiji also drew attention to the situation in both Syria and Iraq, noting that the ISIS terrorist organization’s presence there makes the crisis more complex, as security, humanitarian, and political issues are closely linked, and stressing that coordinated confrontation is necessary to reduce risks and create conditions that stop future threats from emerging.

Commending regional efforts, the vice minister praised Iraq’s decisive measures and continuing coordination with the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and further welcomed the Syrian government’s statement on the ceasefire agreement reached with the Syrian Democratic Forces, which includes integrating the institutions of the Autonomous Administration into the Syrian state’s institutions under a broader national framework.

With inputs from SPA