RIYADH, 7 January 2004 — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday met with Mervat Tellawi, undersecretary-general of the United Nations.
Tellawi, who is also the executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the crown prince agreed to set up a regional think tank, which will advise the governments of the 12-member ESCWA including Saudi Arabia on how to promote regional economic and social development.
Addressing a press conference here last night after wide-ranging talks with the crown prince, Tellawi said the think tank will also counter Western misconceptions while promoting the culture of ESCWA member nations.
Tellawi said her meetings with Crown Prince Abdullah, Minister of Economy and Planning Khaled Al-Gosaibi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi and Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ali Al-Namlah focused mainly on supporting programs for capacity building.
The think-tank, which is to recruit intellectuals and strategists, will also compile an inventory of best practices in the ESCWA region. It will be based in Beirut.
ESCWA is also involved in advising the Kingdom on e-government and preparing a framework for a comprehensive national plan for science and technology propounded by the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Planning, she said.
EU Mideast Envoy Holds Talks With Abdullah
The European Union’s Middle East Envoy Marc Otte was in the Kingdom yesterday for talks with the crown prince, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The agency did not say what the crown prince had discussed with Otte, but a top official said the prince called on EU countries to “exert pressure on Israel to cease its aggressions against Palestinians.”
According to a report carried by the AFP news agency, Prince Abdullah condemned Israel’s construction of a separation barrier in the occupied territories.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, who also met with Otte, said he had discussed with the EU envoy the situation in the region.
Prince Saud announced a possible European-Arab action to revive the road map for Middle East peace.
“We have agreed on the necessity of European-Arab action to revive the road map by the Quartet,” comprising the EU, the US, the United Nations and Russia, he said.
“We are waiting for the reaction of the European side on coordinating the joint action,” said the minister, without providing details on the nature of the proposed action.
During a visit to the Kingdom last month, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei urged Saudi officials to exert the Kingdom’s influence to revive the Middle East peace process.
