DAMASCUS/AMMAN, 9 January — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, arrived in Damascus yesterday on a two-day visit aimed at strengthening Saudi-Syrian ties.
Prince Sultan was welcomed at the Damascus airport by Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa Miro and Defense Minister General Mustafa Tlass.
Prince Sultan later held talks with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, a presidential spokesman said.
"The meeting centered on the developments in the region and on the Arab scene, and the situation created by Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people, their rights and their territories," Assad spokesman Gebran Kurieh said in a statement.
They also discussed "Israeli aggressions (against) Arab, Muslim and Christian holy places," he said.
Earlier speaking to reporters in Amman, Prince Sultan reiterated that the only foreseeable solution in the Arab-Israeli conflict was to return Jerusalem to the Palestinian people. "Concerning Jerusalem, we will not accept anything but its return to its sons (Palestinians)," Prince Sultan said before flying to Syria at the end of a two-day visit to Jordan and talks with King Abdallah.
The official Syrian press reported the Saudi defense minister and the Syrian officials were due to discuss "the latest developments in the region and ways to promote relations in various fields".
In a commentary on Saudi-Syrian ties, the Saudi Press Agency referred to the growing economic and commercial relations between the two countries. It said the Saudi Fund for Development had extended loans for a number of projects in Syria.
Saudi Ambassador to Damascus Bakr Abdullah ibn Bakr told the official Tishrin daily that Syrian-Saudi relations were "solid". "The Kingdom supports our Arab brothers' struggle to recover their rights and the territories occupied by Israel", he added.
During their meeting late Sunday, the Jordanian king and the Saudi prince affirmed their full support for the Palestinian right to an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, officials said.
Jordan's Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb echoed the remarks, saying: "Jordan supports the Palestinian position and Palestinian sovereignty over the Haram Al-Sharif and that Jerusalem be the capital of a Palestinian state."
Control over Al-Haram Al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, is a fundamental dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. Muslims call the entire East Jerusalem quarter as Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
"The Arab and Islamic positions are clear and based on principles that can be achieved according to international legislation," Abu Ragheb told reporters after Prince Sultan's departure.
He said talks with Prince Sultan also focused on "military cooperation," without elaborating. "There were discussions on the possibilities of cooperation in matters that are of interest to both countries and there is a program we hope to implement," Abu Ragheb said.
Prince Sultan arrived on Sunday in Jordan where he also held talks with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat who was on a short visit to Amman to brief King Abdallah on the latest Middle East talks.
Prince Sultan highlighted the strong, historic relations between Saudi Arabia and Jordan. He said he would not forget the warm reception accorded to him by King Abdallah on arrival at the Amman airport.
In a joint communiqué issued at the end of Prince Sultan's visit, King Abdallah praised Saudi Arabia's firm support for Jordan as well as for Arab and Islamic causes. He said the royal visit was in line with the continuous coordination between the two countries.
"The meetings between the two sides dealt with political, economic and commercial cooperation," the communiqué said. "The two sides condemned all forms of terrorism and emphasized the need to differentiate between terrorism and the struggle for freedom and restoration of usurped rights," it added.
