Britain’s Straw in Riyadh

RIYADH, 16 March 2004 — Jack Straw, British secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs, arrived in the Saudi capital last night at the start of a Gulf tour during which he will hold talks with top Saudi and Gulf officials. The talks will mainly focus on the developments in the region, notably the situation in Iraq, the Middle East peace process and terrorism with special reference to Spain.

Straw, who was received by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal at the airport, will also review the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and Saudi-British relations while in the Kingdom. British Embassy officials, however, could not provide further information about the minister’s meetings.