Photo: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kind Salman at the G20 summit. (Photo courtesy: SPA)

King Salman’s speech at the G-20

Saudi king at G20: World must get rid of terrorist evil

Saudi Arabia's King Salman’s address at the G20 summit discussed the urgency to “rid the world of its evil” in the fight against terrorism, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Head of the Saudi delegation to the summit that took place in Turkey, King Salman’s speech called for the international community to increase its efforts against terrorism that threatens “world peace and security,” adding that “the war on terrorism is the responsibility of the entire international community.”

During his speech King Salman proposed the establishment of “International Centre for the Fight against Terrorism under the United Nations” that aims to be an international intelligence hub for the exchange of information and research on terrorism. Saudi Arabia has already donated $110 million to the center, and called for other nations to contribute and support the center.

King Salman also touched on the recent attacks that took place in Paris, killing 129 people, giving his condolences to the families of the victims. The king emphasized on the innocence of Islam, stating that Saudi Arabia has also suffered from acts of terrorism.

The Syrian crisis was also discussed during his speech, stating that “the international community must work to find an urgent solution.”

He said: “It is certain that addressing the problem radically requires finding a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis and standing by the Syrian people's right to live in dignity in their homeland. The suffering of this people is exacerbated by the inaction of the international community to find a solution.”

King Salman also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a resolution to the Syria crisis and bilateral relations on the sidelines of the G20 on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Eailer in the G20 summit, Obama met King Salman, to discuss the need to support the moderate Syrian opposition and the Iraqi government in the fight against ISIS.

It remains to be seen, however, whether Washington itself has an appetite for much deeper involvement after already stepping up air strikes and committing small numbers of special operations troops to northern Syria to advise opposition forces in the fight against ISIS.