JEDDAH, 13 August — Prince Abdullah, the regent, yesterday highlighted the Kingdom’s historic relations with the United States and said: "Our relations are based on mutual respect and common interests and aim at strengthening world peace and stability in light of international charters and resolutions."
Presiding over the weekly Cabinet meeting, Prince Abdullah underscored the strong ties between the two countries and commended the statements made by US officials affirming them.
He was referring to the comments by US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld following explosive remarks by Laurent Murawiec, an analyst from the private Rand Corporation, who portrayed Saudi Arabia as an enemy of the US.
On the Middle East crisis, Prince Abdullah urged all parties involved to adopt a "responsible" position to achieve peace and reiterated that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land remains the root cause of the conflict.
"Achieving peace in the Middle East required a responsible stand from all parties, backed by the international community, which has condemned all forms of violence and destruction," the regent said.
"Prince Abdullah reiterated that the essence of the crisis and its escalation is the continuing Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and its aggression against the Palestinian people," the Saudi Press Agency reported quoting Acting Information Minister Dr. Madani Allaki.
The Cabinet praised a recent UN General Assembly Resolution calling for the immediate Israeli withdrawal from all re-occupied Palestinian cities and for a halt to all acts of violence. The Cabinet said it would be a step toward a full Israeli pullout from all occupied Palestinian lands.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s King Abdallah held talks here yesterday with Prince Abdullah on the worsening situation in Palestine and called for a just Middle East peace settlement. Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation attended the talks. The Cabinet meeting authorized the foreign minister or his deputy to sign an agreement with Sri Lanka for cooperation in economic, commercial, investment, scientific, technical, cultural, youth welfare and sports fields. It also authorized the chief of the Youth Welfare Presidency or his deputy to sign another agreement with South Africa for cooperation in sports.
The Cabinet authorized the commerce minister to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart for reaching an accord for technical cooperation in areas of quality control, laboratory tests and quarantine.
