DUBAI, 13 October — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, said on Friday that any UN Security Council decision on Iraq will not be binding on the Kingdom.
“We don’t have the ability to oppose the resolutions of the United Nations or the Security Council. But it’s not obligatory on us to implement what is said. We give priority to the interest of our country, then of Muslims and Arabs,” he said, speaking to reporters after visiting MBC television here.
Prince Sultan dismissed reports that Saudi Arabia will boycott the forthcoming GCC summit in Qatar, saying they were based on false assumptions. “No GCC country will be absent from the summit,” Prince Sultan told reporters.
Prince Sultan said the Kingdom will not change its stands to appease any party. He highlighted the efforts of Arab television channels to confront the Western media “smear campaign” against Islam, Arabs and Muslims. He also underscored the strong Saudi-US relations. “Our ties with the United States are based on mutual interests,” he asserted. Prince Sultan admitted that there were shortcomings in Arab countries’ handling of the Palestinian issue. (SPA)
