JEDDAH, 19 June — Prince Abdullah, the regent, has called upon the United States to work for a lasting Middle East peace settlement. “We expect from the US the good work to establish lasting peace in the region,” he said.
Speaking to US journalists at his palace in Jeddah on Monday, the regent said the Saudi-inspired Arab peace plan would help end the protracted blood bath in the region and promote harmonious relations among its peoples.
The prince said the success of the plan, which has been endorsed by the Arab summit held in Beirut last March, depended on the support it received from the world, especially the United States.
Prince Abdullah expressed the hope that a Palestinian state would be established during the current mandate of President Bush. “I hope that (the creation of a Palestinian state) will be achieved by Bush by the end of his first term” in January 2005, he said.
Despite pressure from Arab states, Bush has said it is too early to decree a timetable for declaring a Palestinian state, and has placed singular emphasis on the need for Palestinian reforms. But the US leader pledged Thursday to lay out a vision for the “evolution of a Palestinian state,” as the White House said he may opt for the creation of a “provisional” such nation alongside Israel pending final negotiations.
Bush, expected to lay out his plan for moving the stalled Middle East peace process forward this week, would not say whether he favored the idea or when he will make his much-anticipated public statement.
Asked what he expected from Bush in his much-talked-about speech on Middle East peace, the prince said: “We expect all the good things in the interest of the region, the humanity and the world.”
On Palestinian bombers, Prince Abdullah said in comments released by the Saudi Press Agency: “Violence from any side will not help peace.”
Prince Abdullah said Iraq had taken “positive” steps toward allowing UN weapons inspectors back into the country for the first time in more than three years. “I hope Iraq accepts the return of inspectors and it is my belief that Iraq has taken positive steps in this direction,” he added.
