JEDDAH, 2 March 2004 — Saudi Arabia yesterday reiterated its rejection of foreign-imposed democratic reforms in the Arab world and said speedy solutions to the Palestinian and Iraqi issues were the best route to reforms and peace in the Middle East.
The weekly Council of Ministers’ meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, chaired by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, also condemned the Israeli barrier in the West Bank.
At the outset of the meeting, the crown prince briefed the ministers on the outcome of the talks between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Riyadh last week.
The Cabinet welcomed a joint statement issued after the talks, which said Arab states would not accept a particular pattern of reform imposed from outside, in an apparent reference to US calls for democracy in the Middle East.
The statement “affirmed that Arab states proceed on the path of development, modernization and reform in keeping with their people’s interests and values.” Modernization and reform must fulfill the people’s needs and be compatible with “their Arab identity.”
The meeting emphasized that a just solution must be found to Arab and Muslim issues, especially Palestine and Iraq, in support of the ongoing “intense Arab efforts to achieve reforms and development.”
The barrier Israel is constructing in the West Bank, the meeting said, violated the fourth Geneva Charter as well as international resolutions.
“This barrier not only isolates the Palestinians but also stands as an obstacle to all peace initiatives,” the Saudi Press Agency said quoting Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy.
The Cabinet statement also upheld a Saudi-Egyptian proposal, backed by Syria, to reform the Arab League and make it more effective. The proposal is being discussed by foreign ministers of the 22-member pan-Arab organization in Cairo.
Gulf sources said the proposal calls for the creation of nine new bodies, including an elected seven-member Arab security council, an Arab court and a parliamentary body. The tripartite proposal also provides for the adoption of Arab League decisions by a two-thirds majority rather than unanimously.
Yesterday’s Cabinet meeting also authorized the governor of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training to hold talks with Philippine officials to sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of technical education and vocational training.
The meeting appointed Osama ibn Hamza Abu-Gharara deputy minister of commerce and industry for internal trade, Muhammad ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Muqaiteb, director of public spending at the Finance Ministry, and Muhammad ibn Omar Al-Saqhan director of the agriculture minister’s office.
Shoura decisions: The consultative Shoura Council yesterday called for a definitive plan to end the budget deficit and curtail public debts and bring them to acceptable international levels.
