Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal today held a press conference at the guest residence of Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, who is currently visiting Vienna.
He opened the press conference with the following statement: “The Crown Prince yesterday held discussions with the Austrian Chancellor and Prime Minister, and today with President Thomas Klestil. He expressed his appreciation for the warm, friendly reception accorded him by the Austrian people and Government throughout his visit, which reflects the strengthened depth of relations between the two countries and the political will of both countries to expand relations in all fields. The Crown Prince signed a draft agreement on cooperation, particularly trade and investment cooperation.
Both sides expressed their great concern about the unilateral policies and aggressive practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, which violate the ‘road map’ and seek to derail the entire peace process for the Middle East region. The Kingdom and Austria both seek to promote cooperation between Arab countries and the European Union to push forward the peace process, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Saudi Arabia stressed the need to boost the role of the United Nations in Iraq, to protect the stability, unity and sovereignty of the Iraqi people.
The Austrian side expressed appreciation for the Kingdom’s efforts to combat terrorism, particularly to destroy its infrastructure. Both sides agreed on the necessity of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, money laundering, and narcotics smuggling, which are inter-related.”
Prince Saud Al-Faisal noted the extent and depth of discussions held between Saudi and Austrian delegations, and then took questions from the floor.
The Saudi Ambassador to Austria and the Kingdom’s permanent representative to United Nations organizations, Omer Kurdi, attended the press conference.
Source: SPA
