RIYADH, 11 February 2004 — Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal will begin a European tour on Feb. 16. The tour is aimed at reviving the stalled road map for the Middle East peace process, senior European diplomats said here yesterday.
Prince Saud will visit Belgium, Poland and Switzerland where he will hold wide-ranging talks with his European counterparts and call on other high-ranking officials to discuss a host of regional and international issues including the situation in Iraq.
Addressing a press conference here, Prince Saud said he hoped that the United Nations would contribute to the transfer of power to Iraqis following the world body’s first mission to the war-torn country since October.
“We hope that the United Nations regains its fundamental role in Iraq” for a transfer of power “on the scheduled date, so that Iraq recovers its national unity and its sovereignty over its entire territory,” he said.
Prince Saud also said that Iraq’s presence at a conference of foreign ministers of countries neighboring Iraq opening Saturday in Kuwait was an occasion to inquire into “the Iraqi people’s expectations of their neighboring and brotherly states.”
Speaking on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Prince Faisal sharply criticized the barrier being built by Israel which will separate the West Bank from Israel and Jerusalem as something designed to divide Palestine into districts and impose a fait accompli on the Palestinians.
He called on the United States to intervene quickly and firmly in order to stop Israel’s unilateral measures. The Kingdom submitted a memorandum to the International Court of Justice on the “racist separation wall” on Jan. 27, the prince said, adding that the Kingdom would speak on the issue at the court on Feb. 23.
Commenting on Israel’s efforts to open an embassy in Iraq, Prince Saud said: “Normal relations with Israel require a comprehensive peace settlement with Arab countries.”
Referring to reports of the arrest of three Libyan diplomats in the Kingdom for security reasons, Prince Saud said: “The Foreign Ministry is not the party to answer this question.”
He said the video film recently distributed by Al-Qaeda confirmed that it had been behind the terrorist bombings in Riyadh. “All measures have been taken to prevent funds reaching terrorist organizations,” he added.
Speaking to Arab News, Swiss Ambassador Dominik Alder welcomed Prince Saud’s upcoming visit to his country on Feb. 17. “This is the first visit by the Saudi foreign minister to Switzerland.” The talks in Berne will focus on the Middle East peace process and Saudi-Swiss relations, said Alder.
Asked about Prince Saud’s visit to Brussels, Belgian Ambassador Rudi Schellinck said: “The prince will deliver a speech at the Center for European Studies (CES) during his trip to Belgium, where he will stay for two days, Feb. 18-19.
Prince Saud will visit Poland on the last leg of his trip.
Andrzej Wozniak, charge d’affaires at the Polish Embassy here, said: “The Saudi minister will meet Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and invite him to visit Riyadh.”
