JEDDAH, 26 November 2007 — The leaders of Saudi Arabia and Jordan yesterday urged Israel to take “serious steps” toward ending the Arab-Israeli conflict so that tomorrow’s Middle East peace conference could be a success.
In a statement issued after a meeting between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and his Jordanian counterpart, King Abdallah, in Riyadh, the two countries insisted that the Annapolis conference should tackle the core issues of Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and borders.
“They also asserted that any settlement for the Arab-Israeli conflict with a view to bringing about just and comprehensive peace should be based on the international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab peace initiative,” the statement said.
Saudi Arabia and Jordan along with other 14 Arab countries have announced a collective plan to attend the conference.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah will open the third Riyadh Economic Forum on Sunday. The forum will focus on five vital issues: human resource development, improving government performance, proper investment of the budget surplus, requirements of economic growth, and modernization of infrastructure.
Organizers said they wanted the REF to play an important role in the Kingdom’s social and economic development. “Despite its newness, the REF has been instrumental in shaping the government’s development priorities and setting out modern economic objectives in order to achieve sustainable growth,” said Hussein Al-Athel, a member of the forum’s board of trustees.
He thanked King Abdullah for his continuous support for the forum since its beginning. He instructed the Supreme Economic Council to study the recommendations of the two previous forums and asked government departments to implement proposals that were suitable and applicable. “We don’t want the REF to be just for showing off or providing a structural framework.’” he added.
