RIYADH, 30 April 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan gave a red carpet welcome to Greek President Karolos Papoulias, who arrived here yesterday on his first visit to the region.
Diplomats said Papoulias’ talks with King Abdullah would focus on major regional issues, including the situation in Iraq and the Middle East peace process as well as ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
In press comments published yesterday, Papoulias said Saudi Arabia and his country enjoy deep-rooted relations that date back decades. He pointed out that the two countries held identical views on all major international issues.
Earlier on arrival at Riyadh Air Base, senior princes and Cabinet members, including Prince Abdul Rahman, deputy minister of defense and aviation and Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, greeted Papoulias.
Papoulias, 75, is a former Greek foreign minister who was a member of Parliament for 20 years. He became the country’s president in February 2005. The president, who flew in by a special aircraft, is leading a 104-member delegation.
Dimitrios Sioufas, minister for development and Manolis Kefaloyiammis, minister of merchant marines, Deputy Foreign Minister Theodoros Kassimis, and several deputy ministers are part of the visiting presidential team.
King Abdullah hosted a dinner banquet at the Yamamah Palace in honor of the visiting president. According to diplomatic sources, the Saudi-Greek summit talks in Riyadh were expected to cover efforts to combat terrorism and Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
Papoulias will present a medal, the Grand Cross of the Order Redeemer, to King Abdullah for his outstanding services, the sources said. It is the highest award given by the Greek government to its nationals and distinguished foreign friends. King Abdullah is expected to present a medal to the visiting president as a mark of friendship between Saudi Arabia and Greece, sources from the Greek Embassy said.
Referring to the free trade agreement to be signed by the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, the president told the local press that the agreement would strengthen the political and trade relations between the two regional blocs.
The president also attended a reception hosted by Greek Ambassador Ioannis Economou at the Greek Embassy here. More than 300 members of the Greek community attended. They met and greeted their president and his accompanying officials at the reception.
President Papoulias told his community members that he was happy to see them here in large numbers.
“I have come here to strengthen the relations between the two countries by laying emphasis on economic cooperation,” he told his countrymen.
Greek’s imports from the Kingdom are estimated at $1 billion, while its exports to Saudi Arabia are valued at $50 million. In November the two countries agreed to set up a joint business council to facilitate the flow of information on trade.
Today the president will attend a session of the Shoura Council and will hold talks with members of the Saudi-Greek Parliamentary Friendship Society in Saudi Arabia. He is to visit the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center and thereafter he will attend a luncheon hosted by Crown Prince Sultan before he leaves for Doha in the late afternoon. He will also visit Manama during this tour of the Gulf region.
Ambassador Economou said the visit would boost the existing relations.
“Systematic cooperation is required in order to explore and exploit new avenues and to promote joint initiatives in an increasing number of fields, so that the bilateral relations can further evolve for the benefit of the two countries,” said the ambassador.
