CAIRO, 12 August 2003 — Saudi Arabia and Egypt yesterday stepped up their efforts to forge a common Arab policy on Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, held a second round of talks here yesterday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak before leaving for Morocco.
The Saudi-Egyptian talks focused on forging a common Arab position on vital issues including Palestine and Iraq, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said.
“The two leaders reviewed the Arab situation and how to overcome difficulties there and strengthen Arab solidarity,” Maher told reporters after the summit talks.
He said Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria agreed on the need to revive joint Arab action to address important issues such as Palestine, Iraq and Israeli aggression.
Following talks with US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs William Burns, the Egyptian minister called for a stronger US role in implementing the road map for Middle East peace.
He also called for an “active UN role” to help the Iraqi people “assume total responsibility and exercise its sovereignty.”
Maher also met with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Syria, Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Farouk Shara.
After his meeting with Maher, Burns reiterated Washington’s “determination” to pursue implementation of the road map, which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005, and also to work toward restoring Iraq’s sovereignty.
But he cautioned the road map was a “difficult process,” and stressed US concerns about a resurgence of tension on Israel’s northern border following two separate attacks by Hezbollah last week.
He also repeated that Iraq’s US-backed Governing Council should be recognized by Arab capitals as a necessary tool in the transition to a fully sovereign government and urged greater Arab investment in the country’s crippled postwar economy.
Meanwhile, the US administration has voiced concern that a security fence which Israel is building across the West Bank could complicate negotiations on the borders of a future independent Palestine.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Washington was considering whether to penalize Israel for the construction of the fence.
