Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir expressed his rejection of Iran’s interference in the affairs of Arab countries and its support for sectarian strife and terrorism. He underlined the need to respect the sovereignty of states and international law, as well as the principle of non-interference in the affairs of other countries. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the eighth session of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, which concluded in Beijing on Tuesday, he said: “We believe in the sovereignty of states and therefore, reject Iran’s interference in the affairs of Arab countries, in addition to its support to sectarian strife and terrorism.” “Iran is playing a destabilizing role in a number of countries, particularly the Arab states,” he continued. Jubeir also touched on the Gulf crisis with Qatar, saying that Doha should stop supporting terrorism and extremism. “Qatar must realize that its actions and policies must change with regard to supporting extremism, terrorism and interference in the affairs of the countries of the region, which are unacceptable,” he stated. Asked about the importance of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum and the aspects of collaboration between the two sides, Al-Jubeir said: “The Forum will strengthen the relations between Arab countries and China, which is one of the largest investors in the Arab world and has wide experience in the field of technology.” He also highlighted its economic and political weight, and its stances on important issues that converge with the position of Arab countries. “China is one of the largest trading partners in the Arab world. The volume of trade between the two sides reaches around 190 billion annually. There are many projects and big investments for China in Arab countries. On the other hand, Arab countries are among the leading oil exporters to China,” the minister stressed. Al-Jubeir described relations between Saudi Arabia and China as “strategic and historical”, noting that the two countries enjoy joint military and security cooperation, as well as collaboration in the fields of trade, investment, energy, oil and education. “Saudi Arabia is also the largest market for Chinese products in the region and China is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner,” he explained. Commenting on the situation in Yemen, the Saudi minister reiterated his country’s support for a political solution based on the Gulf Initiative, the Yemeni national dialogue and UN Security Council Resolution 2216.