RIYADH: Andrej Plenkovic, the leader of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee delegation, on Tuesday hailed Saudi Arabia for its yeoman services in looking after the displaced Syrians in countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

“We fully appreciate the contribution made by the Kingdom for regional security and stability,” he said.

The delegation wrapped up a two-day visit to Riyadh on Tuesday.

He said that the delegates had useful discussions with the higher authorities to form a common understanding on various regional and international issues.

Plenkovic, who met Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Monday, said the two parties discussed various regional and global issues such as the problems in Syria, Yemen and de-escalation of tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

During the talks with King Salman, he said that it was clearly understood that the Kingdom is for a regime change in Syria. He hoped political negotiations will help prevent bloodshed in Syria and Syrians from fleeing their native land. “We want to continue the peace process for a political solution,” he stressed.

“We fully appreciate the contribution made by the Kingdom for regional security and stability,” he said, acknowledging the yeoman services rendered by Saudi Arabia in looking after the displaced Syrians in countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

The Kingdom has already taken a sizable number of the Syrian refugees in to the country, he added.

During his meeting with Shoura Council Vice-Chairman Amin Al-Jaafri, he said the accompanying delegates discussed in detail how best the parliamentary relations between the two countries could be be further developed for mutual interests. Such a inter-parliamentary relation could help the two bodies to work out new areas of cooperation,” he said.

During his meeting with Prince Turki bin Mohammed Al-Saud, undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for multilateral affairs, he said he was briefed on the diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Kingdom in current regional issues to maintain peace and stability in the region. He pledged that the European Union will render its utmost support to enable humanitarian aid to reach the refugees.

Plenkovic, who also met with Saudi Human Rights Commission Chairman Bandar Al-Aiban, said that he sought some clarifications about the jailed blogger Raif Badawi’s case.

He said that the European Union has been the first trading partner for Saudi Arabia and such relationship should be developed for the mutual interests of the two parties.

Before the delegation left for Qatar on Tuesday, Plenkovic also held discussions with Justice Minister Walid Al-Samaani at his office in Riyadh.