SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, 2 June 2006 — The peace process in Palestine and the present state of affairs in Iraq featured high in the two rounds of talks held between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the International Conference Center here on Wednesday.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt appeal to the international community to respect the will of the Palestinian electorate and not collectively punish them for making a democratic choice,” said Ambassador Suleiman Awad, official spokesman of the Egyptian president’s office, in a statement after the talks between the two heads of state.
With regard to their discussions on the current Iraqi situation, Suleiman said: “Both King Abdullah and President Mubarak are keen to see the current political process in Iraq succeed. They, however, view that success depends mainly on harmony between diverse Iraqi groups.”
On the Iranian nuclear program, the two leaders maintained that the region did not need any further conflict and that “there was no need for nuclear weapons either in Iran or in Israel.” The current issue should be resolved through diplomatic channels without resorting to force, which would only worsen the situation.
