Saudi-Egyptian summit tackles Palestinian, Lebanese, Iraqi developments

King Abdullah asserts Saudi, Egyptian keenness on regional stability

President Mubarak stresses necessity to solve region's problems

Palestinian human chain to protest Israeli siege

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt held a session of talks at the Monarch's Palace.

During the session, developments of the Palestinian issue, the siege imposed on the Palestinian people and the continuous Israeli aggression were discussed.

The two leaders also discussed the current crisis in Lebanon as well as the Arab efforts exerted to find solution to this crisis.

The talks also covered the situation in Iraq as well as the importance of maintaining Iraq's security, unity and sovereignty.

The talks also dealt with enhancing ways of cooperation between the two countries in all fields in addition to discussing the overall events and developments at the regional and international arenas.

The session was attended by Prince Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of Allegiance - Pledge Commission; Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior; Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence; and Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Hisham Mohieddin Nazir.

On the Egyptian side, the session was attended by Ahmed Abul-Gheit, Foreign Minister; Eng. Rasheed Mohammed, Minister of Trade and Industry; Omar Suleiman, Chief of General Intelligence; Dr. Zakaria Azmi, Chief of the Court of the President; Mohammed Abdulhamid Qasim, Egyptian Ambassador to the Kingdom; and Ambassador Suleiman Awwad, Secretary of the President for Information and Follow-up Affairs.

President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt had arrived in Riyadh on a visit to the Kingdom.

At Riyadh Airbase, he was received by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud who welcomed the President and the accompanying delegation.

President Mubarak was also received by Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf Al Miqren, Mayor of Riyadh Region; Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Tobaishi, Chief of Royal Protocol; Hisham Mohieddin Nazir, Saudi Ambassador to Egypt; and Mohammed Abdulhamid Qasim, Egyptian Ambassador to the Kingdom.

Following that, President Mubarak shook hands with Prince Miteb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammed, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Civil Aviation; Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs; Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saud, Assistant Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Dr. Mansour bin Miteb bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Adviser to the King; Prince Mansour bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz, Adviser to the King; Prince Dr. Bandar bin Salman bin Mohammed Al Saud, Adviser to the King; and a number of ministers, senior civil and military officials and members of the Egyptian Embassy in the Kingdom.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques shook hands with members of the official accompanying delegation, including Ahmed Abul-Gheit, Foreign Minister; Eng. Rasheed Mohammed, Minister of Trade and Industry; Omar Suleiman, Chief of General Intelligence; Dr. Zakaria Azmi, Chief of the Court of the President; and Ambassador Suleiman Awwad, Secretary of the President for Information and Follow-up Affairs.

President Mubarak held at the Guest Palace a meeting with Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister.

In a press statement, Prince Saud pointed out that the meeting completed the talks held between The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and the Egyptian President as well as briefing the Egyptian President on the communications recently held by the Kingdom. On his part, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit described Saudi-Egyptian vision of regional and Arab situations as in full agreement.

He noted that the talks dealt with the economic file in light of the Kingdom's desire for strengthening economic relations between the two brotherly countries, also indicating that an economic committee will hold a meeting in Riyadh in the next few days between the ministers of commerce and industry of the two countries.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the consultations, communications and meetings held over the previous days with a number of leaders of states and their envoys on bilateral issues and latest developments at Arab, regional and international arenas.

In this context, the Monarch valued the visit paid to the Kingdom by Egypt's President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak. The visit confirmed the keenness of the two countries on achieving peace and stability in the region, and their seeking to serve the interests of their peoples, strengthen the unity and unify the ranks of Arab and Islamic nations, and to contribute to removing obstacles from the track of Arab and Islamic common action.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad bin Amin Madani said the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques commended his meeting with Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf which embodied the joint desire for enhancing the relations of friendship between the two countries.

In this context, the Cabinet emphasized that the Kingdom's relations with Sweden and Scandinavian countries are based on mutual respect for the values, traditions and convictions prevailing in each society and; the cabinet also affirmed that the development of these relations should be built on the understanding of the particularities of each society.

The Minister of Culture and Information noted that the Cabinet reviewed the results of the meeting of foreign ministers of Arab and South American countries concluded in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last Thursday. The Cabinet looked hoped that the meeting would lead to supporting aspects of cooperation economically, culturally and politically and to contributing to the coordination of the positions of the two groups on many international issues.

Lebanon's political crisis is becoming more complicated and foreign influence over the struggle between the Beirut governing coalition and Hezbollah-led opposition is unprecedented, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said.

In comments published on Wednesday, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa called for renewed Arab and regional efforts to end the standoff between the rival sides, whose power struggle is Lebanon's worst crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.

Lebanon has been without a president for three months and the two sides are at odds over how to share seats in a new cabinet.

Moussa brokered two days of talks this week but failed to make progress towards resolving a conflict that continues to poison Arab ties ahead of an Arab summit in Syria next month.

As-Safir quoted Moussa as describing the size of the problems as "very formidable." He said problems were becoming more complicated and creating additional problems.

"Foreign influence has become a source of pressure in the Lebanese issue to an unprecedented extent," he said. He did not say which states he was talking about.

"The Arab League has accomplished what could be accomplished," he said. "The rest requires new Arab and regional efforts," As-Safir quoted the former Egyptian foreign minister as saying.

Moussa described Lebanon as a microcosm of the Middle East.

"Any splits, if they happen, can spread and threaten the rest of the countries. Therefore it is up to everyone who has a link to the Lebanese situation to sense the danger and bear their responsibilities," he said.

Highlighting the existing fraternal relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said his visit to the Kingdom comes within framework of the joint consultation and coordination with the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz about the crises and problems of the middle east in these critical circumstance being passed by the Arab region.

In statements published in Riyadh newspaper, Mubarak said the Saudi-Egyptian relations constitute the pillar of the joint Arab work.

'The Arab League constitutes an umbrella for the joint Arab work, and there is no way for the Arabs but to enhance their solidarity for confronting the challenges and crises', he said.

He pointed out that the Arab foreign ministers have agreed on an Arab initiative as regards the presidential election in Lebanon, adding that 'this is the only initiative following the failure of several initiatives which have come from outside the region'.

He hoped that the Palestinian and Israeli sides would reach a peace agreement within this year as promised by US President George w. Bush during his recent tour of the region.

Mubarak said the efforts of his country in this respect aim at setting Israel before its responsibility in its capacity as an occupying force and at the same time his country is keen on drawing the attention of the quartet before its responsibility as regards following up negotiations with the Palestinian authority.

Mubarak expressed sorrow over the deteriorating situation in Palestine and the existing dispute between Fatah and Hamas, and said such a dispute will have an adverse impact on the Palestinian cause.

On the phenomenon of terrorism, Mubarak said Egypt has firmly confronted this phenomenon.

He noted that the Egyptian nuclear program aims at usage of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

As regards the Arab common market, he said it should be established gradually taking into account the experience of the European countries in this respect.

He praised the experience of the GCC member states in this regard.

The Egyptian president received Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh Region.

During the meeting they exchanged cordial talks and discussed a number of issues of mutual interests.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian and Bahraini leaders held a closed session of talks on the latest developments in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories as well as the overall situation in the Middle East and Gulf regions.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa shared identical views with regard to the issues raised.

After holding a tête-à-tête session of talks, the two leaders were joined by the Egyptian delegation accompanying President Mubarak and top Bahraini officials.

The two leaders also discussed ways of boosting Egyptian-Bahraini relations along with security in the Arab Gulf region and the Middle East, particularly in Egypt.

Mubarak arrived in Manama after wrapping up a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia where he held talks with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. Mubarak is accompanied by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit, Industry Minister Rashid Mohamed Rashid, Minister Omar Soliman as well as presidential cabinet chief Zakaria Azmi and Awwad.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he hoped all Arab leaders would be present at the upcoming Arab summit. He said his meeting with King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa was part of constant meetings between the two leaders.

In an interview with Bahrain's TV following a session of talks with King Hamad, Mubarak said he usually holds talks with the Bahraini king either in Cairo or Sharm El-Sheikh or Manama to exchange viewpoints between the two sides.

Mubarak pointed out that he met with the Bahraini monarch before the Gulf war and agreed with him on the importance of holding an emergency Arab summit.

The success of the coming Arab summit in Damascus depends on solving the current political crisis in Lebanon, Mubarak said.

The mission of Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa in Lebanon aimed at settling the Lebanese problem within the framework of the Arab initiative, Mubarak added.

The initiative is based on a three-point plan calling for electing Army chief General Michel Soliman as president, forming a national unity government in which no one party has veto power and adopting a new electoral law. President Hosni Mubarak returned home, wrapping up a tow-day tour of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

In Riyadh, President Mubarak held talks with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and senior officials on the latest developments in the region and on ways to boost bilateral cooperation.

In Cairo, an Egyptian-Palestinian summit was held on the latest Palestinian developments and efforts exerted to push forward the Middle East peace process.

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak discussed with Chairman of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmoud Abbas efforts to activate the Palestinian-Israeli negotiation process.

The talks also dealt with efforts that aim to lift the Gaza siege and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people especially in the Gaza Strip as well as reach inter-Palestinian reconciliation.

Abbas briefed President Mubarak on the outcome of his recent talks with Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert and Monday's meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Abbas said he discussed with President Mubarak current Palestinian developments, peace talks with Israel, the crossings issue and lifting the sufferings of Palestinian people.

The crossings are now all closed as a result of the existing siege on the Gaza Strip, Abbas said.

"The crossings issue is being examined in full between us and President Mubarak and also with the Israelis to find the reasons that led to the siege and the steps to be taken to lift it and end the sufferings of the Palestinian people," he said.

Next week, Egyptian Minister Omar Soliman will discuss the crossings issue with the Israelis, Abbas said.

The launching of missiles on Israel from the Gaza Strip must stop because this is the pretext Israel uses to keep the crossings closed and the siege clamped, Abbas said.

The reopening of the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian-Gaza Strip border needs the enforcement of the 2005 agreement, and any amendments to this agreement can come at a later stage, he said.

Abbas said the Palestinians and Israelis have formed committees in the wake of the Annapolis conference to treat the six pending final status issues, namely water, borders, settlements, refugees, Jerusalem and security.

Also, the road map for peace is being implemented and a three-way committee grouping Palestinian, Israeli and American officials was formed to examine the first clause of the map namely the Palestinian and Israeli commitments including end of settlement activities and the reopening of the closed Jerusalem committees, Abbas said.

There are several obstacles facing the committee, but hope also exists that they could be transcended, he said.

Fatah has blessed Yemen's initiative to restart an unconditional dialogue with Hamas, but Hamas still has to accept it, he said.

Abbas said he must continue to hold talks with Olmert despite the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Palestinians to demand an end to them. "There are definitely many attacks on Palestinians and we call in our meetings [on Israel] to stop them. Many times, our meetings are just dedicated to demand an end to these attacks," he said.

In Amman, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the U.S. to make good on its promise to work for a Palestinian - Israeli peace settlement by the end of the year, warning that otherwise "there will never be any future chances to achieve this goal."

Meanwhile Yasser Abd Rabbo, the Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is chaired by Abbas warned on the same day that peace talks with Israel face a "precarious impasse" that could lead the Palestinian leadership to look for other options within the framework of international legitimacy.

If the U.S. President George W. Bush administration didn't make good on its pledge to "make 2008 the year to broker peace, then there will never be any future chances to achieve this goal," Abbas told reporters following a closed door meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

The U.S. "must understand it is to play an active role, not just as a supervisor, by intervening directly to help make peace," said Abbas. For his part, Jordan's King Abdullah II underscored the close ties with the Palestinian Authority.

The two sides discussed the recent preparations for holding the Arab, Islamic summits, due next Month.

They underlined the importance of coordinating all efforts and unifying stances to support the Palestinian people and the peace process.

President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan reiterated his country's commitment to support the Palestinian people, the official Emirates News Agency reported.

During meeting with visiting Palestinian Premier Salam Fayyad, Sheikh Khalifa reiterated his country's stance to support the Palestinian people by ameliorating their suffering and help them attain their national rights, said the report.

For his part, Fayyad briefed Sheikh Khalifa on the Palestinian situation. "The UAE government and people are concerned by the plight of the Palestinian people, who are reeling under a cruel occupation and blockade," Sheikh Khalifa added.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed a Yemeni initiative aimed at healing the rift between his Fatah government and the Islamic Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip. The initiative calls for a return to the status quo that existed before Hamas took control of Gaza in mid-June last year, according to Yemen's official Saba news agency.

"President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed the initiative of the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh," Abbas's office said in a statement.

Abbas "is completely in favor of this friendly and brotherly initiative," it added.

Hamas showed little enthusiasm for the proposal.

"The Hamas movement is absolutely prepared to discuss any effort to return Hamas and Fatah to dialogue but without prior conditions ... and to explore all the issues in an open way at the negotiating table," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said.

Yemeni foreign ministry official said that Hamas had "reservations" about the initiative, mainly over the first clause calling for a return to the situation that prevailed before its takeover of the impoverished territory.

The Palestinian Popular Committee Against Siege organized a human chain to protest the Israeli closure of the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Palestinians formed the human chain along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, protesting the Israeli blockade of the territory.

Organizers had hoped to form the chain along the entire 40-kilometre strip but only about 5,000 people showed up -- many of them schoolchildren and university students.

The group, which included many schoolchildren and university students, joined hands outside the town of Beit Hanoun -- about six kilometers from the border.

Signs saying "End the siege of Gaza now," and "Your siege will not break our will," could be seen in the crowd.

In response, Israel sent thousands of troops and police to the volatile border.

Israel sealed off the Gaza Strip after Hamas took control following clashes with Fatah movement last June.