His Excellency the Minister receives Public Relations Manager of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

His Excellency the Minister, Shaikh Dr. Abdullatif Bin AbdulAziz Al Ashaikh, received, in his office at the Ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh, today, Monday the twenty-eighth of Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1441 AH, the Public Relations Manager of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Anick Van Calster and her accompanying delegation. At the beginning of the meeting, His Excellency the Minister welcomed Mrs. Calster and her accompanying delegation, wishing them a pleasant stay in the Kingdom, and noting the deep historical relations between the Kingdom and Belgium, especially their cooperation in various fields. The Minister, Shaikh Dr. Abdullatif Bin AbdulAziz Al Ashaikh, stressed that the Kingdom, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques the wise King and Just Ruler, Salman bin Abdulaziz, and his Royal Highness the Crown Prince, may Allah protect them, is spreading, the values of moderation and fighting extremism and terrorism, as well as spreading the values of tolerance, love and compassion all over the world. The Kingdom also seeks to enhance the values of peaceful coexistence among the followers of all religions and cultures. The Minister also referred to the prominent role played by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, which voiced the Kingdom's message to the world in this regard, in conformity with its approach and constitution based on the Glorious Qur'an and Sunnah. His Excellency stated that the Kingdom has suffered from terrorism just like Belgium. Moreover, the Kingdom is one of the countries most affected by terrorist attacks. It bears the banner of Islam and embraces the Qiblah of Muslims and their sacred places, which indicates that terrorism does not belong to any religion, race, or specific country, which requires all of us to work to tackle its roots and those who support it from some countries that export terrorism to the world, even if they allege belonging a particular religion. His Excellency stressed that the Ministry, under the direct directives of our wise leadership, represented by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince, may Allah protect them, plays an important role in demonstrating the tolerance of Islam and promoting its values among all Muslims in the world, and working to build bridges of cooperation with various Islamic associations and centers all over world to emphasize such values. For her part, Mrs. Calster stressed the strong relationship between her country and the the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the joint cooperation between them, noting that this meeting is very important due to the Ministry's great influence on the whole world, especially with regard to avoiding the extremist discourse and deviant ideas that pose a threat to societies. Mrs. Calster stressed that dialogue and cooperation with the Kingdom is very important, given its great position in the world. She also noted the great understanding achieved during the session with His Excellency Minister Dr. Abdullatif Al Ashaikh, who was positive, optimistic and aware of the importance of strengthening joint work to spread peace and charity, as well as combating terrorism in all its forms. She also emphasized the convergence of views on many issues that have been raised, which will contribute to activating cooperation to serve Muslims in Belgium, and maintain the security and stability sought by peoples of the world. At the end of the meeting, his Excellency the Minister, Shaikh Dr. Abdullatif Bin AbdulAziz Al Ashaikh, offered Mrs. Anick and her accompanying delegation souvenirs.