RIYADH, 25 October — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal will leave for Islamabad today to discuss European proposals to help the ex-Afghan king, Muhammad Zahir Shah, form a post-Taleban government in Kabul.
The talks will also focus on the need to extend more humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, the Middle East peace process and the implications of the continuing war led by US-British coalition.
Prince Saud will deliver messages from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, to President Pervez Musharraf.
Saud’s talks in Islamabad will focus on “the situation in Afghanistan and the political future of the country in light of the proposals presented by the Europeans to Saudi Arabia Tuesday,” a diplomatic source said yesterday.
The proposal to support the formation of the new government during the post-Taleban period was discussed by European officials including German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer with top Saudi officials. The EU supports this plan and has renewed its commitment to extend humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and make available funds for the reconstruction of the country.
