The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz received at his palace in Jeddah today Jose de Venecia, Speaker of Philippine's House of Representatives, and accompanying delegation.
At the outset of the meeting, the senior parliamentarian awarded King Abdullah with Philippine's Achievement Medal which was presented to the monarch in accordance with the Philippine's House of Representatives decision.
During the ceremony, a speech was read on behalf of the guest.
Here is the text of the speech:
"In recognition of His Majesty's enlightened statesmanship in the Middle East and in the world. Under his direction, Saudi Arabia is pursuing the peace plan to help settle the Israel-Palestine conflict, while constantly moving to moderate the international price of oil and assuring that its supply continues to meet the needs of the expanding world economy.
In futher recognition of His Majesty's continuing efforts to modernize governance, the economy and the infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while conserving the purity of Islam's ideals and traditions, among the first of these steps has been the founding of an active national legislature, the Shoura Council, which is already taking its place of honor among the Asian parliaments. In appreciation of Saudi Arabia's leadership, through its Muslim World League (Rabitah), in initiating with the Philippines and Europe's Christian Democrats the Global Muslim-Christian and Interfaith Dialogue, which program of dialogue was approved by the United Nations General Assembly in November last year, and which will help isolate the extremists who advocate terrorism in the name of religion, and in particular appreciation of His Majesty's interest in Saudi Arabia's historical relations with the Philippines; its friendship has expressed itself not only in Riyadh's encouragement of Manila's peace negotiations with separatists in its Muslim communities but also in its support of the Philippine application for "Observer" status in the Organization of the Islamic Conference; in further appreciation of the Saudi Government offers of economic assistance, in many forms, to Muslim Mindanao, Sulu, and the offshore islands, which has also benefited many Christian Filipinos, and the Kingdom's employment, in the last two years of almost one million Filipino overseas contract workers, engineers, technicians, nurses, health workers, and other service providers, in the Kingdom's infrastructure and development projects."
