JEDDAH, 21 January 2007 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will hold talks with Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in Riyadh today on major regional and international issues and ways of strengthening bilateral ties, according to Pakistani Ambassador Shahid Karimullah.
“During his visit to the Kingdom, the president will discuss a number of important issues related to the region and situation in the Islamic world,” Al-Riyadh Arabic daily quoted the ambassador as saying. He said the Saudi-Pakistan summit talks would focus on “the distinguished relations” between the two countries.
Musharraf arrived yesterday in Madinah on his way to Riyadh. He visited the Prophet’s Mosque and paid respects at the Prophet’s grave inside the mosque complex.
He was received on arrival at the mosque by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Faleh, deputy chief of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques, and Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Ahmadi, commander of security forces at the mosque.
Earlier on arrival at Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madinah, the Pakistani president was greeted by Governor Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Majed and other top Saudi officials as well as Ambassador Karimullah. Musharraf will perform Umrah before heading to Riyadh.
Musharraf is here on the first leg of a five-nation Arab tour, which will also take him to Egypt, Jordan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad before his departure, Musharraf said the main objective of his current Arab tour was to explore possibilities of adopting new initiatives to resolve the Palestine dispute.
“The Middle East and the Muslim Ummah are in turmoil,” the president told reporters. He said he would discuss with the leaders of Arab countries how to bring peace and harmony to the Muslim world.
“The Palestinian issue is the core dispute in the Middle East and with joint efforts by the Muslim Ummah, it can be resolved,” he added.
During the four-day tour, Musharraf will also hold talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, King Abdallah of Jordan, President Bashar Assad of Syria and UAE President Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan.
Musharraf has already engaged leaders from the West to emphasize urgency and the imperative need for addressing the Palestinian issue and the Middle East situation to avert an explosive situation, endangering global peace.
— With input by Azhar Masood in Islamabad
