JEDDAH, 28 July 2004 — Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi held separate talks yesterday with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah soon after arriving in Jeddah on a visit to the Kingdom as part of a tour of the region.
King Fahd welcomed Allawi, wishing him a pleasant stay in the Kingdom, and the two discussed developments in the region with emphasis on the situation in Iraq. They underlined the need for maintaining Iraq’s unity, sovereignty, security and stability so that the country is able to play its active role at the international arena.
They also discussed regional and international issues and means of strengthening bilateral cooperation, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Allawi earlier met with Crown Prince Abdullah with their talks focusing on regional affairs, namely developments in Iraq as well as Arab, Islamic and international affairs.
The two sides stressed the need for maintaining Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial sanctity and independence. Senior officials from the two sides attended the meetings.
The Iraqi prime minister flew in from Beirut as part of a mission aimed at normalizing ties with Arab states and easing his country’s foreign debt burden. He is accompanied by a large delegation.
Allawi is also scheduled to visit Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates on the tour that has already taken him to Syria, Jordan and Egypt as well as Lebanon. The Iraqi official hopes the two-week tour will secure debt forgiveness for Iraq and open a new chapter in relations with the rest of the world, especially Arab states.
While in Lebanon Allawi declared he would consolidate ties with the Arab world. “We will work on enhancing and consolidating diplomatic and economic ties with Lebanon and Arab countries,” he said.
He stressed that Baghdad would not make any move to normalize relations with Israel before other Arabs do as part of a Middle East settlement. “Future relations with Israel are determined by two issues: International resolutions and a just, comprehensive peace that has been adopted by the Arab leadership, including the Palestinian leader,” he said adding that Iraq will not take any unilateral action on a settlement with Israel outside those two frameworks.
