Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah speaks with US Vice President Dick Cheney at his Janadriya ranch on the outskirts of Riyadh on Friday. (AFP)

RIYADH, 22 March 2008 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah welcomed US Vice President Dick Cheney and presented the King Abdul Aziz Sash to him at his Janadriya ranch on the outskirts of Riyadh yesterday.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal earlier received Cheney at King Khaled International Airport.

According to sources, issues such as Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon figured high in the discussions between the king and Cheney. They also discussed where the US now stands in the global energy market.

King Abdullah urged Cheney to pressure Israel to seal a peace deal with the Palestinians before US President George W. Bush leaves office in January next year, sources said.

The sources said Saudi Arabia was not happy with the “slow” pace of US efforts to push the Middle East peace process. There has been a lack of US pressure on Israel to reach a peace agreement and end the building of settlements and halt all excavations around Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Discussing Iran’s nuclear program and its growing regional influence, the king confirmed his opposition to any US military strike, sources said.

Saudi Arabia, along with other Gulf Arab countries, sees negotiations as the best way to ease tension between the US and Iran.

According to sources, the king also told Cheney that the Middle East should be free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

Situation in Iraq

The situation in Iraq was also discussed. The US wants the Kingdom to step up formal ties with the Iraqis by sending an ambassador to Baghdad and encouraging visits by ministers and officials.

Washington wants to see its Arab allies improve ties with Baghdad as a way of containing Iran’s influence in Iraq, according to US officials.

Saudi diplomats visited Baghdad at the end of last year to explore the possibility of opening an embassy there. Washington and Riyadh disagree over the Iraqi government led by Shiite Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, with the Saudis saying Al-Maliki is not doing enough to promote reconciliation between the country’s Shiite and Sunni Arabs thereby giving Iran a chance to deepen its foothold in Iraq.

The political standoff in Lebanon, resulting from the failure of its Parliament to elect a president, was discussed.

Oil Price

During his trip to the Kingdom in January, US President George W. Bush had urged the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase production, saying it was a mistake to have the economies of its largest customers slowing down as a result of higher energy prices.

The oil-producing nations ignored Bush’s request. The White House said it disagreed with OPEC’s decision to rebuff that request, and that the oil-producing nations themselves could be hurt by US gas prices that are more than $3 a gallon.

Cheney asked the king to press the organization for an output increase to ease pressures on the US economy, according to sources at the US Embassy in Riyadh.

— With input from agencies