RIYADH, 15 October — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd held wide-ranging talks yesterday with Austrian President Dr. Thomas Klestil, who is the first head of state of a European country being hosted by Riyadh since the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States.
The official talks mainly focused on measures to restore peace in the Middle East and on ways to curb international terrorism. Klestil also held talks with Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, and Prince Naif, interior minister.
Austrian Ambassador Dr. Harald Wiesner said the two sides called on the international community to exert more pressure to speed up negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis at this time, when international public opinion has sharply focused on peace in the Middle East.
The Austrian president is believed to have consulted his European counterparts on a range of subjects like the Middle East peace process and ways to strengthen the international coalition to fight terrorism before leaving for Saudi Arabia and Syria yesterday.
The diplomat added that Dr. Klestil, in his meeting today with Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi, Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al Assaf and Commerce Minister Osama Jaafar Faqeeh, will discuss the current situation in the global oil market and slumping prices, with special reference to the decisions and deliberations made by the Vienna-based OPEC, the economic situation in the respective countries and the issue of Saudi accession to the WTO — for which Austria has been mustering support.
Asked about other subjects to be discussed, Walter Friedl, commercial counselor, told Arab News that Klestil will also acquaint himself with the Kingdom’s plan to implement the prestigious railway project when he calls on Transport Minister Dr. Nasser Al-Salloum today.
The Austrian side will offer to cooperate in environmental sector, especially in the sewage projects to be implemented in Jeddah and Riyadh at a cost of billions of riyals.
