STOCKHOLM/BERLIN, 10 June — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, has warned that the Middle East is on the verge of another war, saying “we are all sitting on a powder keg which can explode at any time.”
In an interview with the German news magazine Der Spiegel, Prince Abdullah, who visited Berlin recently as part of a four-nation tour, said “such a war would not only affect the Israelis and the Arabs, but many parts of the world.”
The crown prince blamed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the escalation of the conflict, adding that Sharon’s policy would harm Israel’s future. “The toll of lives has reached a level that we can no longer accept,” Prince Abdullah was quoted as saying in the interview appearing in the latest edition of Der Spiegel.
The crown prince, who is now in Stockholm, yesterday met with Swedish commerce minister and affirmed the Kingdom’s determination to join the World Trade Organization. “But the terms and conditions for our admission to the world trade body should be just and protect our economic interests,” he asserted.
Prince Abdullah said the Kingdom had opened up its market for trade and investment. “We have also introduced comprehensive economic reforms and sought privatization as a strategic choice to strengthen the private sector’s role and increase productivity.”
The crown prince cited the formation of the Supreme Economic Council and the Supreme Petroleum Council as well as a set of new legislation as part of Riyadh’s efforts to attract foreign investment and strengthen the national economy.
“We are determined to remove all the obstacles that stand in the way of economic reforms to attain our goals of developing the economy, diversifying revenue sources and keeping the country abreast of modern developments,” the crown prince said.
He underscored the viable investment climate in Saudi Arabia. “Everybody should understand that investment in the Kingdom is not risky. On the other hand, it is a guaranteed investment based on sound economy.” Saudi Arabia, which enjoys political stability and has the world’s largest oil reserves, is a strong economy, he pointed out.
In his interview with Der Spiegel, Prince Abdullah described attacks by Palestinians against Israeli targets as an “expression of desperation and frustration”. He urged Germans among others to play a greater role in securing peace in the Middle East. During his three-day visit to Germany, the crown prince held talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other top German officials on the situation in the Middle East.
“The Israeli war machine is directed daily on unarmed people who throw stones at the very most,” he said. At least 450 Palestinians, 110 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed in an eight-month Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza.
He said Germany should not shy away from intervening in the crisis. “The crimes of the Nazis against the Jews should not be a pretext to ignore the ongoing crimes against Palestinians,” said Prince Abdullah, who is due to arrive in Morocco today for a two-day visit.
During his meeting with Prince Abdullah, the Swedish commerce minister said his country was watching Saudi economic reforms with great interest. “The decision to open up trade and investment will expand our cooperation,” he added.
The minister pointed out that trade exchange between the two countries had doubled during the past five years. Bilateral trade is tilted in favor of Sweden, whose exports to the Kingdom stood at $273.95 million in the first half of last year, or more than double the Saudi exports to Sweden at $135.44 million.
Addressing the same function, chairman of the Swedish investment company, ABB, commended the “serious and giant steps” taken by Prince Abdullah to open up the Saudi economy. Later, the crown prince held talks with the Swedish commerce minister and business leaders.
Commerce Minister Osama Faqeeh held separate talks with his Swedish counterpart on ways of strengthening commercial and economic cooperation. The Swedish minister offered his country’s support for the Kingdom’s bid to join the WTO.
