JEDDAH, 5 November 2007 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah arrives in Rome today on the second leg of a European tour which has already taken him to Britain. He will hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Pope Benedict XVI tomorrow.
Diplomatic sources said King Abdullah’s talks with Prodi would focus on the Middle East peace and prospects for expanding trade and investment cooperation. Prodi will be at the airport to receive the king and his delegation.
The royal visit will witness the signing of a number of bilateral agreements to expand cooperation in the areas of health, higher education, technical and vocational training and combating terrorism.
The Saudi-Italian Business Council will hold a meeting in Rome to mark the visit. Abdullah and Prodi are expected to attend the council’s concluding session.
King Abdullah will arrive in Rome from Geneva, where he arrived on Thursday on a private visit at the conclusion of his three-day state visit to the UK. He will also visit Germany and Turkey, during the current European tour, his second after becoming king in August 2005.
Prominent Italian officials have highlighted the significance of the king’s visit, saying it would boost Saudi-Italian ties. “I am very happy about the king’s visit,” said former Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. “The present global situation is extremely sensitive and everybody has to work to cool world public concern and prepare a better future for the younger generation. In this respect, King Abdullah’s visit is not only important but also gives hope.”
Andreotti emphasized Saudi Arabia’s growing international role. “Nobody can ignore Saudi Arabia’s historic role,” he said and expressed his readiness to participate in any efforts to promote bilateral ties.
Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Acco Antini said his country gave great importance to the king’s visit. He praised Riyadh’s efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. “King Abdullah has taken a series of initiatives to settle complex issues, winning international applause,” Antini said.
Saudi-Italian relations date back to 1932 when Italy established diplomatic relations with the Kingdom and opened a consulate in Jeddah. In 1933 the two countries signed a cooperation agreement. King Faisal visited Italy in 1933 when he was the country’s foreign minister and met King Victor Emmanuel III. Faisal visited the country again in June 1973. In 1999, Abdullah visited Italy when he was crown prince and met Italian President Carlo Ciampi and Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema.
