JEDDAH, 7 January — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, will visit Jordan and Syria from today at the invitation of Jordan's King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, a Royal Court announcement said yesterday.
The announcement said the royal visit was in line with the strong relations between the Kingdom and the two Arab countries. Prince Sultan will pay a one-day visit to Jordan today before leaving for Syria tomorrow.
Prince Sultan will convey the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, to the two leaders.
In a press statement on the occasion, King Abdallah underscored the historic relations between Saudi Arabia and Jordan and commended Riyadh's stand in support of Amman at all occasions.
Speaking to Al-Jazirah newspaper, Jordan's Prime Minister Ali Abu Al-Ragheb welcomed Prince Sultan to his country and praised the exemplary ties between the two countries.
Jordan's Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Muhammad Al-Malakawi said Prince Sultan's visit would strengthen Saudi-Jordanian relations in all areas. Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Al-Khateeb said the royal visit would open new horizons of cooperation between the two countries.
"Prince Sultan's meeting with King Abdallah will be a good opportunity to exchange views on major Arab and international issues," he added.
Prince Sultan was on an inspection tour of military installations in the Northern Province. He laid the foundation for a new base for the Peninsula Shield, a joint force of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, at King Khaled Military City in Hafr Al-Baten on Friday.
