DAMASCUS, 8 May 2005 — Crown Prince Abdullah held talks yesterday with three influential Arab leaders — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Syrian President Bashar Assad and Jordan’s King Abdallah — as part of his efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Prince Abdullah briefed the three leaders on the outcome of his recent talks with French President Jacques Chirac and US President George W. Bush. The talks also dealt with situations in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon and other international issues.
Prince Abdullah left the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh yesterday for Damascus after holding a second round of talks with Mubarak. “The talks covered a range of issues on the Arab scene, focusing on the Palestinian issue and Iraq, and the situation in Lebanon and Syria,” said Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad.
He said Egypt and Saudi Arabia were “eager to see Lebanon maintain unity of its people” following sharp divisions between pro-Damascus parties and the opposition over the withdrawal of Syrian troops. In two rounds of talks, the leaders also discussed cooperation in combating terrorism.
Awad emphasized the significance of Prince Abdullah’s meeting with Bush at his Texas ranch on April 25, adding that the crown prince was successful in conveying Arab viewpoints on various issues.
“The US is in need of Saudi Arabia to stabilize oil market while Arabs are in need of a US move to implement the vision presented by President Bush in 2002 on two states — Palestine and Israel — living side by side in peace,” Awad said.
Prince Abdullah and President Bashar held talks at Damascus airport. “Though the crown prince’s trip to Syria was short, talks between the two sides covered a wide range of important issues of mutual concern as well as ways of boosting bilateral relations,” said Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara described the Arab peace plan, originally proposed by Prince Abdullah, as the basis for a just and comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East.
Prince Abdullah later arrived in Amman on the third and last leg of his Arab tour and met with King Abdallah. Both leaders called for the resumption of peace talks with Israel on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The two leaders also supported all efforts aimed at combating terrorism that targets the Iraqi people and seeks to demolish their stability and security. They also “considered the road map, which provides for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as a basis for a just solution that guarantees rights of all parties,” an official statement said.
— Additional input from Abdul Jalil Mustafa in Amman
