Vice Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji Emphasises Saudi Arabia's Commitment To Tolerance And Dialogue At Forum

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji took part in the "Tolerance Forum" hosted by the King Abdulaziz Center for Cultural Communication (KACCC) in Riyadh. This event coincided with the International Day for Tolerance. During his speech, he praised KACCC's efforts in organizing the forum at a crucial time when global challenges necessitate reinforcing tolerance, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.

He emphasized that celebrating the International Day for Tolerance demonstrates the global community's dedication to dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence as tools for conflict resolution. He stated, "Celebrating the International Day for Tolerance reflects the international community’s commitment to the values of dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence as a means to resolving conflicts."

The vice minister noted that conflicts based on religious, ethnic, or national identities are inherently local and require local solutions. However, he stressed that international backing is crucial for successful conflict resolution efforts. He added, "Although conflicts rooted in religious, ethnic, or national identities are local in nature and call for local solutions, the success of efforts to resolve them requires international support."

He highlighted the necessity of ongoing international efforts, especially by the United Nations and its agencies. These efforts aim to foster dialogue and tolerance among different religions and cultures as essential strategies to prevent violence, counter hate speech, resolve conflicts, enhance mutual understanding, and achieve lasting peace.

The vice foreign minister reiterated Saudi Arabia's commitment to supporting UN initiatives that promote tolerance and dialogue as peaceful methods for conflict prevention and resolution. He underscored Saudi Arabia’s regional and global contributions in fighting terrorism, extremism, and hate speech.

He also mentioned Saudi Arabia's collaboration with Austria, Spain, and the Holy See in establishing the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue. This initiative aims to foster interfaith communication.

KACCC's Role in Promoting Understanding

In his closing remarks, Elkhereiji commended KACCC's role in advancing dialogue and understanding among diverse peoples and cultures. He expressed optimism that this forum would further shared objectives in peace and development. He concluded by expressing hope that this forum will be an additional step toward achieving shared goals in peace and development.

With inputs from SPA