RIYADH, 22 November — Saudi Arabia and Egypt yesterday called for a just and comprehensive Middle East peace settlement that would ensure an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. In their summit talks here, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak also called for the return of the occupied Arab territories. The meeting also explored ways of strengthening bilateral ties.
The talks at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh were attended by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, and other top officials including Prince Nawaf, director of intelligence, Prince Naif, interior minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, foreign minister.
The Egyptian officials who attended talks included Information Minister Safwat Al-Sharif, Foreign Minister Ahmad Maher, Minister of the Presidency Omar Suleiman and Osama Al-Baz, Mubarak’s political adviser.
Mubarak arrived here late yesterday for talks with Saudi leaders on the future of the Middle East peace process and the war in Afghanistan, an Egyptian diplomatic source said.
The Egyptian leader, who was greeted at Riyadh airport by Prince Abdullah, was to discuss the future of the Middle East peace process and the repercussions of the Afghan crisis on the Arab world.
Sources close to Mubarak in the Egyptian capital earlier said the president would discuss with Saudi leaders the “American initiative for a settlement of the Middle East problem”.
