President Jacques Chirac of France received the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal today.
The Saudi Ambassador to France, Sheikh Faisal Al-Hujailan, attended the meeting, which focused at length on the situation in Iraq.
Following the meeting, Prince Saud Al-Faisal said that he and the French President reviewed an assessment of the situation, and what should be done to avoid a calamity of immense proportions in the region.
He said that the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hopes for a resolution that averts the division of Iraq and maintains the integrity of its territories. “All in my Government are hoping for a resolution that avoids the dismemberment of Iraq and maintains its territorial integrity,” Prince Saud Al-Faisal told reporters. “We hope that a peaceful solution can be achieved and the country’s territorial integrity maintained, to avoid a calamity of immense proportions in Iraq,” he added.
The Spokeswoman of the French Presidency, Catherine Colonna, said that the two men discussed the extension of the United Nations weapons inspectors’ mission in Iraq, and wished for Iraqi cooperation in this field. She said that the two sides stressed the importance of exploring all alternatives to war and giving the inspectors enough time to complete the requirements of their job. “They both believe that all solutions other than the use of force, which can only be justified as a last resort, must be explored,” Colonna said, when briefing journalists on the talks.
Source: SPA
