France and Saudi Arabia Issue Joint Statement at UN Conference, Backing Two-State Solution and New York Declaration

📷SPA

New York, September 23, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The Republic of France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Co-Chairs of the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, issued a joint statement on Monday following the adoption of the New York Declaration by the United Nations General Assembly.

The declaration, endorsed with 142 votes in favor, reaffirms international support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel and outlines a framework aimed at ending the cycle of violence in the region.

The statement welcomed the recognition of the State of Palestine by several countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, alongside France. The Co-Chairs called on other states to join the movement.

France and Saudi Arabia stressed that ending the war in Gaza, securing a permanent ceasefire, releasing hostages, and allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid remain top priorities. They urged Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza and halt settlement activities, warning that any annexation projects pose a direct threat to future peace agreements.

The two countries also backed the Palestinian Authority’s reforms, including the abrogation of the prisoners’ payment system, ongoing schooling and curricula reforms under EU and Saudi support, and the commitment to hold elections within a year of a ceasefire.

The statement announced the launch of an Emergency Coalition for Palestine to mobilize budgetary support for the Palestinian Authority, and called for Israel to release withheld Palestinian tax revenues. It further committed to supporting a temporary international stabilization mission, mandated by the UN Security Council, and to strengthening Palestinian police and security forces.

The joint statement underlined the importance of unifying Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority and reiterated that Hamas must disarm. It also welcomed President Mahmoud Abbas’s commitments to peaceful settlement, rejection of violence, and readiness to establish security arrangements while safeguarding Palestinian sovereignty.

The Co-Chairs reaffirmed that a just and lasting peace based on UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative is essential for regional stability and full integration. They noted the need to explore a regional security framework, drawing on the experiences of ASEAN and OSCE, and voiced support for renewed negotiations on the Syria-Israel and Lebanon-Israel tracks.

France and Saudi Arabia concluded by urging the international community to implement the New York Declaration through “tangible, concrete and irreversible measures,” underscoring that ending the Israeli occupation and achieving the Two-State solution remains the only viable path to peace and security in the Middle East.