A joint press conference was held here last night by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, and the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
At the outset of the conference, Prince Saud delivered a speech in which he said that Saudi Arabia and the United stated have deep-rooted relationship and they are allies in the war on terrorism and looking for peace.
He added that the discussions between Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard and Condoleezza Rice, focused on the bilateral relations between the two countries, and Iraq and Palestine causes. Prince Saud described these discussions as "fruitful and constructive."
"During the Summit between Crown Prince Abdullah and President George Bush in Crawford (in the U.S.), the two leaders had agreed on setting up a committee, chaired by me and the U.S. Secretary of State, to follow up and review the bilateral relations," he added.
Prince Saud pointed out that the Kingdom appreciates the U.S. support for it to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).
On her part, Rice said that Crown Prince Abdullah and President Bush had a good opportunity in Crawford to strengthen the bilateral relations.
She thanked the Saudi Government for its continuous support of the Palestinians.
Rice said that her discussions with Saudis included the increasing of oil production, joining the WTO, and the strategies of combating terrorism, and thanked Crown Prince Abdullah and Prince Saud for their openness.
Concluding her speech, she said that democracy can not be imposed since it is an international concept.
Then, Prince Saud and Rice answered a number of questions relating to the latest developments and issues of common interest.
In response to a question about the U.S. view of the Saudi achievements in the fields of combating terrorism and human rights, Rice said that they are in cooperation with Saudi Arabia in combating terrorism and these terrorists, such as Al-Qaeda, have to be eliminated. "Moreover, Saudi Arabia had many successes particularly in conducting municipal elections and the national dialogue."
With regard to the three Saudi jailed reformists, Rice said: "I raised their issue during my meeting with Prince Saud and we continue to follow the progress of the case," adding that she believes that petitioning the Government should not be considered as a crime."
Prince Saud said the three reformists were jailed for violating the country's laws, adding that the Government would not interfere in judicial matters.
