21Jul2003 Saudi, Egyptian Foreign Ministers' press conference on Iraq, Palestine

Cairo, 21st July 2003

The Foreign Minster, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, conveyed a message from Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, to Egyptian President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak during a meeting here today.

In a joint press conference held with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Maher, following the meeting with President Mubarak, Prince Saud said that the two sides shared common stances on regional issues, noting that they discussed the situation in Palestine and Iraq, and the dangers that may result from deterioration of security in Iraq.

The two sides discussed the recent developments in Iraq, stressing the importance of a joint Arab stand. The discussed the new Iraqi interim Council, and the measures that will be pursued to preserve Iraq’s unity, independence, sovereignty, and Arab identity.

Prince Saud described the Israeli Knesset’s decision regarding Gaza Strip and the West Bank as ridiculous, saying that the Knesset represents a group of extremists.

He said that the Kingdom is keenly following developments of the road map to peace, and regards American efforts to promote the road map as serious and credible.

On deploying Arab troops in Iraq, Prince Saud said that he cannot speak on behalf of Arab countries, which will convene talks to identify the correct course of action in this regard. He stressed that if the United Nations plays a major role in Iraq, this will allow the participation of many countries to support efforts to guarantee peace and security for the Iraqi people.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister described the meeting between President Mubarak and Prince Saud as cordial. He stressed the shared stances of the Kingdom and Egypt on the Arab situation, the Palestinian issue, the situation in Iraq, future joint action, and the affirmation of Arab solidarity.

Source: SPA

News Release Dates
Search:

Profile of Saudi Arabia

The Country Profile contains thousands of pages of information on every aspect of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including its geography, history and development (political, economic and social).