JEDDAH, 8 August 2007 — Saudi Arabia said yesterday it would send a mission to Iraq next week to work out arrangements for reopening its embassy in Baghdad. “The mission will go to Iraq next week to look into the situation there and the opening of an embassy in Baghdad,” Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal told reporters in Jeddah yesterday.
“The opening of a Saudi Embassy in Baghdad will be a positive element in improving relations between the two countries,” Prince Saud said.
Discussing the Palestinian issue, the prince said, “The Palestinian situation depends on the Palestinians themselves and their efforts to settle their differences and move the peace process forward according to the Arab initiative.”
Saudi Arabia has actively participated in the meeting of the Arab Committee for Fact-Finding in Gaza. The committee is striving to achieve national reconciliation of Palestine and bring the situation in Gaza to a constitution-based legal framework, the prince said.
The Kingdom also participated in the extraordinary meeting of the Arab League to discuss the Arab peace initiative and canvass support for the initiative from the Quartet, international and regional organizations and the permanent members of the Security Council, he said.
The Kingdom has observed both Arab and international acceptance for the positive points in the American initiative to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict, particularly calls for an international conference on the matter, the prince added.
“The success of this conference depends on dealing with the core issues of the conflict, a comprehensive solution, establishing a viable Palestinian state on contiguous territory, dismantling settlements and solving the problem of the refugees and Jerusalem,” the prince said.
Concerning Iraq, the foreign minister said the Sharm El-Sheikh meeting reiterated Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial and national integrity and political independence.
The meeting also emphasized the need for fulfilling mutual obligations between Iraq and its neighbors and the international community besides not interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs, supporting Iraq politically and economically and helping it to solve its problems.
