MOSCOW, 23 November 2007 — Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, was awarded yesterday an honorary doctorate at the prestigious Moscow State University of International Relations University in appreciation of his efforts to promote international cooperation and security.
The function was held at the university headquarters in Moscow yesterday. Prince Sultan arrived in Moscow on Wednesday on an official visit to Russia.
He also met Sergei Ivanov, first deputy prime minister of Russia, later yesterday and discussed international issues and bilateral cooperation. He also met Chechnya President Ramzan Kadyrov.
Prince Sultan noted in his speech at the university that since its establishment the Kingdom has been striving to participate in international peace and cooperation among various countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday.
Reiterating the Saudi policy of nonintervention in the affairs of other countries, the prince said: “The Kingdom has adopted its foreign policy based on the sovereignty of all countries and nonintervention in the internal affairs of other countries.”
After receiving the doctorate, Prince Sultan underscored the close cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation.
“The Kingdom considers that its cooperation and coordination with the Russian Federation benefits the interests of both sides, as both countries have a rich cultural and historical heritage besides possessing huge economic and cultural potentials,” Prince Sultan said.
Describing the Kingdom’s efforts to bring about peace in the world, the crown prince said: “Being aware of its role the Kingdom held various international, Arab and Islamic summits on the basis of the principle of dialogue and consultation to solve issues and improve mutual understanding.”
On the moves made by the Kingdom to solve the current oil crisis, the crown prince said: “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah took the initiative for an international forum on energy, as well as suggesting the launch of an international fund for research on energy and environment and climate change, during the recent OPEC summit in Riyadh with a donation of $300 million.”
The prince also pointed out that the Middle East was passing through a dangerous phase of conflicts. The situation demands from both the Kingdom and Russia to double their efforts to settle the issues in a peaceful manner, he said.
Commending Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to find solutions to international issues, the crown prince said: “We appreciate Putin’s efforts to tackle thorny international issues and we hope that his efforts would be crowned with success.”
The prince stressed the importance of solving various conflicts on the basis of international law as he attributed the development of extremist movements to the growing sense of frustration caused by the failure of the international community to solve conflicts on the basis of international legality. “The Kingdom’s desire to achieve a just and comprehensive Mideast peace is abundantly clear in the peace initiative launched by the king and adopted by the Arab League at the Beirut Summit in 2002 and affirmed at the Riyadh Summit this March.”
Prince Sultan also pointed out that the Kingdom was a target of terror but has met the challenge successfully. As part of the Kingdom’s efforts to combat terrorism, the king convened an international conference on terrorism in 2005. The conference also adopted the formation of an international center to fight terror.
“The cooperation among universities and think-tanks in both the countries is vital for the exchange of information and removal of misunderstandings and misconceptions,” the prince said.
