PARIS, 21 June 2007 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday began an official visit to France where he will hold talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy on major regional and international issues. The two leaders will also explore ways of strengthening strategic relations between their countries.
According to an official statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, King Abdullah’s talks with Sarkozy will focus on bringing about peace and stability in the Middle East. At the start of his current European tour, Abdullah cautioned the international community that the conflicts in the Middle East had taken on explosive dimensions.
In a statement on the eve of the royal visit, Sarkozy welcomed King Abdullah to France. The two leaders are scheduled to hold talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris today. A spokesman said the French president would announce his country’s support for the Arab peace plan during the meeting. The peace plan was initially proposed by Abdullah when he was crown prince and relaunched at the Arab summit in Riyadh earlier this year.
Saudi Arabia is one of France’s most important trading partners. According to the French Embassy in Riyadh, the volume of two-way trade reached $7.89 billion last year with Saudi exports accounting for $5.45 billion and French exports $2.25 billion. Trade with Saudi Arabia represents 20.6 percent of France’s total trade with Middle Eastern countries.
This is Abdullah’s first visit to France since becoming king in 2005. Accompanied by a high-level delegation including senior princes and Cabinet members, the Saudi leader arrived from Spain where he held talks with King Juan Carlos, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon.
The royal visit to Spain saw the signing of two accords, one for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion; and the other a memorandum of understanding between the two health ministries for cooperation in the health sector. Saudi Arabia and Spain agreed to set up a $5-billion investment fund to finance joint development projects in infrastructure, energy, new technologies, the defense industry and tourism mainly in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa, informed sources said.
Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf expressed his confidence that the fund, which would be totally financed by the private sector, would strengthen economic relations between the two countries. At present there are 21 Saudi-Spanish joint projects. Many Spanish companies have expressed their desire to participate in various major projects in the Kingdom, especially in the railway sector.
Speaking about the agreement on taxation, Al-Assaf said it would reduce the tax burden on investors. He urged businessmen in both countries to make use of this agreement by setting up more joint ventures. He said the trade volume between Saudi Arabia and Spain rose from SR6.6 billion in 2000 to SR13.6 billion in 2005.
King Abdullah arrived in Madrid on Monday on the first leg of a five-nation tour, which also includes France, Poland, Egypt and Jordan. Abdullah’s Spanish trip began with a state dinner with King Carlos and Queen Sofia as well as other government officials.
During his meeting with Zapatero, King Abdullah welcomed his UN-backed Alliance of Civilizations initiative which aims to strengthen dialogue between the Muslim world and the West. The initiative was launched by Zapatero at the UN General Assembly in September 2004 after the deadly Madrid train bombings in March that year which killed 191 people and injured 1,800. Riyadh is a strong supporter of the Alliance, which is co-chaired by Zapatero and Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“We reject the idea of the clash of civilizations. We also share your view that Islam should not be linked with terrorism. I would like to tell all our friends and the whole world that Islam itself is the first target of terrorists. They have tried to tarnish its image and change its principles and their bloody crimes do not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims,” King Abdullah told the prime minister during a reception.
Abdullah commended Spain’s noble stand on the Palestinian issue and its efforts to bring about a just Middle East peace settlement. He called upon the international community to work for the revival of the peace process. “We have full confidence that Spain will be in the forefront of countries that support justice based on a balanced peace protecting the legitimate rights of all parties,” he said. King Abdullah also invited Zapatero to visit Saudi Arabia.
In his welcoming address, Zapatero said his country had launched the Arab House in Madrid and Cordoba to promote cultural exchange between Spain and the Arab and Islamic worlds. He praised King Abdullah’s efforts for peace and stability in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon. He described the Arab peace plan as a glimmer of hope in a region replete with tragedies.
Zapatero said the joint investment fund launched on Tuesday would usher in a new era in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Spain. He also said that Abdullah’s visit would be noted as a turning point in the history of Saudi-Spanish relations.
“It has laid the foundations for the continuation of joint work for peace in the Middle East and brought about better understanding between cultures and peoples,” the premier said.
After official talks, Abdullah decorated Zapatero with the King Abdul Aziz Sash of the First Order.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Prince Bandar ibn Sultan, secretary-general of the National Security Council, Prince Saud ibn Naif, Saudi ambassador to Spain, and Al-Assaf attended the talks.
In a related development, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said his country appreciated King Abdullah’s efforts to promote a culture of tolerance and moderateness. “I believe that both our countries can deepen this culture all over the world,” the minister said. He commended the efforts of both countries to root out terrorism.
