JEDDAH, 13 November 2007 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday voiced his optimism that peace and justice could be established in the world if nations returned to God and upheld their shared values.
“Returning to God the Almighty is the way for nations to escape from the calamities of disputes and conflicts,” the king said while briefing the Cabinet on the outcome of his six-nation foreign tour.
He said the moderate policies adopted by the Kingdom had not only won the confidence of friendly countries but also resulted in boosting relations with them.
King Abdullah emphasized that the growing problems of wars and conflicts could be tackled through a spirit of justice. The king hoped that his foreign tour, which took him to Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Turkey and Egypt would contribute to achieving a just and comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East, protecting the rights of all parties.
“The cooperation and understanding we received during talks with leaders of these countries reflected Saudi Arabia’s international reputation and its leadership at Arab, Islamic and global levels,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as telling the Cabinet meeting.
King Abdullah’s historic meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican last Tuesday was one of the highlights of the foreign tour. During the hour-long meeting, Abdullah called for dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Jews in order to promote peace and justice. It was the first such meeting between a Saudi king and a pope and people all over the world watched the event with interest.
The Cabinet meeting expressed its hope that the king’s foreign tour would strengthen the Kingdom’s political, economic, cultural, technical and scientific cooperation with the six countries.
Crown Prince Sultan also briefed the Cabinet on the outcome of his talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad ibn Jassem Al-Thani. “The Qatari premier’s visit was instrumental in further strengthening ties between the two GCC countries,” said Saud Al-Muthami, state minister for Shoura affairs and acting information minister.
He said the Cabinet meeting had taken a number of important decisions. It endorsed two agreements with Russia; one for cooperation in air transportation; and the other for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion.
The Cabinet approved the executive regulations for issuing temporary and seasonal work visas. It also endorsed the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism that was passed by the UN General Assembly on April 13, 2005.
