Diplomatic community impressed with Saudi Arabia's development strategies

RIYADH: Riyadh-based foreign ambassadors offered their heartiest greetings and best wishes to King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Saudi people on the occasion of the 87th National Day of Saudi Arabia. The envoys acknowledged the tremendous developments taking place throughout the Kingdom and wished the Kingdom well in attaining its Vision 2030 goals. Belgian Ambassado Geert Criel said he was honored to present to the royal family, the government and the people of Saudi Arabia his best wishes for peace, happiness and prosperity in the Kingdom. As in past years, he said he would look forward to working with Saudi partners on the continued strengthening of bilateral relations and cooperation. Conveying his warmest congratulations to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and to the people of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of their National Day, Ralph King, ambassador of Australia, looks forward to continuing close cooperation in all fields, to enhance the prosperity and security of both nations. Portuguese Ambassador Manuel Carvalho conveyed his greetings and good wishes to the Saudi people and to the Saudi authorities under King Salman and the crown prince on the country’s National Day. Christopher Henzel, chargé d’ affaires of the US Embassy here, said as President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia made clear, the US values the longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia and it will continue to work together long into the future. Henzel said: “Our militaries have a strong partnership, and we continue to cooperate in the region to defeat terrorism, cut of terrorist funding, and combat extremist ideology to ensure both our countries can live in peace and security.” Indian Ambassador Ahmad Javed said that India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations reflecting the centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties. “Saudi Arabia, as part of our extended neighborhood, holds an eminent position in our political, commercial, security, energy and defense engagements. We consider Saudi Arabia a factor of stability in the region and an economic powerhouse,” he added. Albanian Ambassador Sami Shiba said Saudi Arabia is a major economic power an important player in the Middle East. Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi said he was deeply impressed over the leadership, which is taking Saudi Arabia to new heights. “Bangladesh enjoys a special relationship with the Kingdom by way of our common culture, religion and fraternity.” Swedish Ambassador Jan Knutsson told Arab News: “The past year has seen very strong progress in the bilateral ties between Sweden and Saudi Arabia with a number of important visits in both directions. Sweden remains committed to working with the Kingdom to achieve its impressive Vision 2030, and is ready to contribute whenever possible.” Pakistan Ambassador Khan Hasham bin Saddique said his country enjoys historically excellent relations with the Kingdom. “Our relations are based on the mutual aspirations and faith of the people of the two countries. The people of Pakistan hold the leadership of Saudi Arabia in high esteem. The depth of this relationship is expressed by profound feelings of affection, friendliness and enthusiasm.” Conveying his heartiest greetings to King Salman and the crown prince, Sri Lankan Ambassador Azmi Thassim said that all Sri Lankan Hajj pilgrims, who undertook the Hajj pilgrimage this year, were grateful to the Saudi government for the great efforts made to ensure that every single need of the pilgrims was provided to make the pilgrimage very special. Chinese Ambassador Li Huaxin said the Saudi-Sino relationship has touched a new high in the last one-and-a-half years. There was an exchange of visits between the leaders and the smoothly operated mechanism of the high-level committee of the two countries have led to a new era for the all-around and rapid development of China-Saudi relationship. Maldivian Ambassador Abdullah Hameed said: “It gives us great pleasure to express our good wishes to the leadership of Saudi Arabia.” Brunei Ambassador Dato Yusoff Ismail said the Kingdom has rendered tremendous efforts to provide excellent services to ensure the welfare and well-being of Hajj pilgrims. Offering his best wishes, Ukraine’s Ambassador Vadym Vakhrushev wished the Kingdom years of prosperity and the well-being of the nation. Jaime Sergio Cerda, ambassador of Argentina, wished security and stability for Saudi Arabia with the full implementation of Vision 2030 for Saudi Arabia’s prosperity. Djibouti Ambassador Diaa-Eddin Saed Bamakhrama said Djibouti considers Saudi National Day as part of his country’s celebrations. Indonesian Ambassador Agus Maftuh Abegebrie said this year marks the highlight of Saudi-Indonesian bilateral relations, particularly the setting up of the SAUNESIA (Saudi – Indonesia) Partnership. “The historic visit of King Salman to Indonesia last March, among others, laid a foundation for strengthening bilateral relations between the two brotherly nations and citizens in a number of important sectors,” he stressed. Source: Arab News