JEDDAH, 22 May 2006 — Interior Minister Prince Naif is hoping that Tehran will respond positively to international calls urging it to stop its uranium enrichment program and avoid foreign attacks.
In an open discussion with Shoura Council members, government officials, businessmen and academics in Riyadh, Prince Naif said he doubted whether the international community would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium and develop a nuclear bomb. “We all remember the Iraqi nuclear plant that was bombed by Israel before its completion,” said Prince Naif as quoted in the Al-Jazirah daily.
Prince Naif reiterated Saudi Arabia’s stance in keeping the Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction including nuclear arms. “We believe that a nuclear arms race would destabilize the region and give powerful countries a pretext to meddle in our affairs.”
The Saudi interior minister also said that the world was looking at Iran’s nuclear program with suspicion, adding that it posed a danger to region including Iran. He hoped that the Iranians would revise their policy and comply with the will of the international community in this matter.
“I hope Iran will respond favorably to international calls. I fear any negative response from its part will give foreign powers a pretext to harm Iran,” he explained. A GCC delegation will soon visit Tehran to convince Iran to respond positively on the issue.
Prince Naif also urged Iran and various other countries in the region not to interfere in the affairs of Iraq. “In Saudi Arabia we have Shiites and in Iran they have Sunnis; both are citizens in their own countries,” he said, adding that the Shiites in the Kingdom enjoy equal rights like other citizens.
The prince said Saudi Arabia will continue its reform programs without any foreign pressure and advised Saudi citizens to follow Islam’s moderate path.
Prince Naif expressed his sympathy to Saudi businessmen who had lost considerable amounts of money in the recent stock market fluctuations.
Prince Naif called upon the Finance Ministry, the Commerce and Industry Ministry, the Economy and Planning Ministry, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency and the Capital Market Authority to give reasons for the sudden fall in the stock market index after its superb performance in the past few years. “In my opinion special panels of experts must be established to study the condition of the market in order to take appropriate decisions and prevent a repeat of such falls in the future,” he said.
Prince Naif urged the CMA to educate the public on how to deal with the market. “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan are deeply concerned with the situation,” he said and referred to the measures taken by the government in recent weeks to strengthen and stabilize the market.
The minister favored the sale of government shares in public corporations and state-owned companies at suitable times to offer better investment channels to Saudis and develop revenue sources for the government. However, he said that it was up to the financial authorities to make a decision on this matter.
