The Kingdom has set up a global alliance dedicated to the implementation of a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan revealed on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, state news agency SPA reported. The coalition is made up of unnamed Arab and Muslim countries, alongside European partners. The story was also picked up by Reuters.
The pressure is building: Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs referred to a “growing consensus” in the West and in the international community on the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state, and that a “new approach” has to be taken to that end after decades of futile negotiations, he told The Associated Press. The coalition is set to meet first in Riyadh and Brussels, European Commission Vice President and the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borell said on X.
Saudi and Tajik officials have inked an MoU to waive short-term visas for diplomats and special passport holders, during the UN General Assembly in New York, state news agency SPA reports. The agreement provides for mutual visa exemptions, but the specific types of passports differ. Saudi nationals holding diplomatic and special passports will be exempt from short-term residence visas, while Tajik nationals with diplomatic and service passports are granted the same exemption. The move builds on an earlier agreement between the pair to eliminate visa requirements for all Saudi citizens back in 2022.