RIYADH, 13 April 2005 — Crown Prince Abdullah will meet President Jacques Chirac in Paris today at the start of his three-day official visit to France. The two leaders will discuss a range of bilateral, regional and international issues with emphasis on the Middle East peace process, the issue of Syria and Lebanon and the situation in Iraq.
A senior official said Prince Abdullah’s visit to France would be followed by a private trip to Morocco before leaving for the US on April 23 for a three-day official visit.
The royal court yesterday confirmed the crown prince’s official visits to France and the United States. “Prince Abdullah will leave here today for abroad on an official visit to France and the US,” the Saudi Press Agency reported quoting the royal court.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister and other high-ranking Saudi officials, will accompany Crown Prince Abdullah on the trip, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
The political counselor at the Canadian Embassy, Ursula Holland, said yesterday that the crown prince’s visit to Canada, originally scheduled for April 26-28, had been postponed and no new dates had as yet been set.
Saudi and French officials said Prince Abdullah was scheduled to meet President Chirac twice. He will also hold talks with Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin in Paris.
The visit “reflects the excellent relations between the Kingdom and France” which are in fact a “strategic partnership,” said Saudi and French officials. They hailed France’s “friendly” stands toward the Arabs.
Asked about the crown prince’s itinerary, a spokesman at the French Embassy, Alain Guepratte, said: “Crown Prince Abdullah will visit the Islamic Art Collection at the Louvre.” The Louvre, which was a medieval fortress, was later a palace of the French kings and has witnessed more than 800 years of French history.
Officials said talks between Saudi and French leaders will include UN reforms and GCC-EU agreement. The two are also expected to discuss the fight against terrorism and the role of France and the European Union in backing the Palestinian Authority.
The talks will also include developments in Lebanon since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February.
Following his visit to France, the crown prince will go to the US where he will meet President Bush on April 24. The talks between the crown prince and Bush are important in view of the ongoing war on terrorism being waged by both countries. The talks will cover the full range of bilateral issues.
The crown prince is likely to stress the Arab view that the re-launch of an initiative for peace with Israel during last month’s Algiers summit illustrates that the Arabs are committed to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, meanwhile, described Saudi-US relations as “excellent”, adding that the crown prince’s visit would strengthen cooperation between the two countries. “First of all, it’ll serve the interest of Saudi Arabia,” he stated.
