The 4th Summit of the Arab and South American Countries (ASPA) this week in Riyadh could not have occurred at a more critical time for the Gulf region. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has called on the Latin American countries to sign a free-trade agreement with Arab states.
All these meetings and deals are steps the Middle Eastern countries are taking to forge new alliances with other nations and doing away with their heavy reliance on the West.
Arab nations in the past couple of years have more or less felt like a free feast in a poor neighborhood of hungry people. They are attacked from every side and we often don’t know who are our enemies and who are our friends. We have been let down by our trusted allies, who happen to be world powers.
When the United States signed a nuclear arms agreement with Iran, it became clear that it was serving its own interests regardless of the countless warnings from Arab leaders that Iran is the leading source of instability in the region.
The evidence is overwhelming that Iran continues to scam western nations into thinking that it is ready to join the international community as a responsible player. Yet it continues to supply the Houthi rebels in Yemen with military equipment and supports rebels and militants in other parts of the Arab world. Iran would be only too happy to generate chaos in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia given the slightest opportunity.
Where does this leave Saudi Arabia and its neighbors? We are placed in a position to seek allies elsewhere and with countries that share the same values as Arabs. Arabs have much in common with Latin Americans. We are closer in culture and beliefs.
In South America, Peru and Uruguay have recognized Palestinian statehood. In Central America, Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras recognized Palestine’s right to exist as a state. Cuba, in fact, has actively supported the PLO by providing training and diplomatic and financial support.
Fidel Castro openly confronted Israel by declaring that it was practicing “Zionist fascism.” Such views reflected the strong feelings of Arabs.
As we reconsider our dependency on oil revenue and attempts to diversify our economy, we can look to the European Union as a model of strength for its economic policies relating to commerce (not European countries’ individual foreign policies). A similar union with Latin America would benefit both regions and would greatly strengthen the Gulf economies.
If we were to strengthen our ties with Latin America, it would behoove Saudis to also reconsider where it sends its university students enrolled in the King Abdullah Scholarship Program because Central and South American have many fine institutions. And it would also be vital if we teach Spanish as a language at the school level. As it stands, we only teach English as a foreign language because English is the international language and the language of business. Teaching Spanish is a natural step for Arabs since an estimated five percent of Latin America’s population is of Arab origin, and continues to grow at a rapid rate. It stands to reason that Spanish-speaking Arabs would only help enhance our relationship with the people of that region.
King Salman has demonstrated a deft foreign policy, as we wean ourselves from dependency on the United States and rethink our relationship with Russia. Saudi Arabia has been looking East to China for stronger economic ties, and now we are prepared to do the same with Latin America. These new relationships will help us overcome the betrayal of some of our western friends.
