Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques receives messages from Egyptian, Russian presidents

Prince Saud al-Faisal conveys message to Syrian president, invitation to visit Saudi Arabia

Janadriya Festival stresses Palestinians' rights, Arab unity

Abu Mazen discusses with Clinton Palestinian situation, just and comprehensive solution

Clinton speaks to Israeli leaders about inevitability of having independent Palestinian state

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received a reply message from President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak of Arab Republic of Egypt in response to the message that the President had received from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on February 26. The king's message contained the Kingdom's congratulations on Palestinian reconciliation efforts exerted by the president, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the Palestinian factions.

In the Egyptian president's message, President Mubarak thanked and appreciated the king message on the king's support for the efforts of Egypt to achieve Palestinian national accord and end division between the National Palestinian Authority and the factions.

Mubarak said the king's message has reaffirmed the wisdom and vision of the king who supported the interests of the Palestinian people and their just cause.

The Egyptian President added that the king's message reasserted the identical Saudi-Egyptian wishing good health and continuous success to the king and continuous advancement and prosperity to the Saudi people.

Mosques King Abdullah also received a letter from Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation.

The letter was handed over to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques by the Russian Minister of Culture Alexander Evedev during an audience with the King.

The reception was attended by Prince Miteb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Acting Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Prince General Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs and Vice Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the festival; Prince Mansour bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz, Adviser to the King; Prince Dr. Bandar bin Salman bin Mohammed Al Saud, Adviser to the King; Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information; and Viktor Kudriavtsev, the Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom.

President Bashar Al-Assad of the Syrian Arab Republic received Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal. According to Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the reception discussed the Arab situation, and the challenges facing the nation, citing the recent Arab divisions.

President Al-Assad maintained that Arabs must reach a method to manage differences amicably, build upon the common elements. This is in itself reduces the area of differences, particularly when there are essential issues on which Arabs cannot differ: Arab rights and Arab best interests. He stressed that relations between Arab countries should always be in the service of Arab peoples and their higher interests, leading to enabling Arab countries perform their duties, particularly towards Palestine and Iraq.

Talks included Palestinian conciliation and intention of the two countries to support it.

The reception during which Prince Saud Al Faisal conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his invitation to the President to visit the Kingdom was positive and constructive.

The audience was attended by Walid Al-Moallem, Syrian Foreign Minister; Dr. Buthayna Shaaban, Political and Information Advisor with the Syrian Presidency; and Dr. Faisal Meqdad, Deputy Foreign Minister.

On the Saudi side, the audience was attended by Dr. Khaled Al Jindan, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Bilateral relations.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah graced Wednesday afternoon the opening ceremony of the 24th National Festival for Heritage and Culture organized annually by the National Guard in Al-Janadriya.

Upon Arrival at the festival's venue in Al-Janadriya, the king was received by Prince General Miteb Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs and Vice Chairman of the Festival’s Supreme Committee.

Princes, Undersecretaries of the National Guard and members of the Festival Organizing Supreme Committee shook hands with the King.

Then, King Abdullah received King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, and Saudi Arabia's guests.

Afterwards, the national royal anthem was played. The monarch and his guests took their seats at the main festival stand, verses from the Holy Quran were recited, and the first round of the grand camel race consecutively took place.

After the end of the first found of the race, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques handed prizes to the winners.

Then, the king and the guests of the king performed Maghrib prayers. Afterwards, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the king of Bahrain graced the dinner held on this occasion.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud attended a speech ceremony held to mark the festival.

The event was kicked off by a key address delivered by Prince General Mit'eb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard and Deputy Chairman of the festival's Supreme Organizing Committee.

In his speech, Prince Mit'eb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz welcomed the King and his guests.

He considered the festival a pillar of the country's renaissance, attributing the festival's 25-year-old march to the instructions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, and Prince Badr bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Commander of the National Guard and Chairman of the festival's Supreme Organizing Committee. He said Al-Janadriya has turned to be a symbol for the unity of this country the pillars of which were erected by late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman.

Prince Mite'b bin Abdullah confirmed that the festival has achieved its role in preserving the identity of this country amid changing international winds because it was based on values and principles emanating from our religion and other pillars.

He cited the call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for rapprochement, tolerance and co-existence of different peoples, civilizations and cultures which resulted in convoking Makkah, Madrid and New York conference calling for dialogue among followers of religions and those who belong to different civilizations.

In the aftermath of Gaza recent bloody events, the Arab nation was on the verge of severe difference which was mainly wrapped up during Kuwait Economic Summit, thanks to the call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for reconciliation and ignorance of the past as well as his generous donation for the Palestinian people, Prince Mit'eb said.

He added that the participation of brothers from the Arab Gulf region, Arab and Islamic countries and other parts of the world has turned Al-Janadriya village to an open home for thought, culture and science and a platform for innovation and enjoyment.

He announced that Russia is the festival's this year guest of honor following Turkey.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud awarded King Abdulaziz Sash to Dr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Khuwaiter, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet, honoring him as this year's Saudi Cultural Personality.

In a key address, the Russian Minister of Culture and Communications Alexander Soklov thanked the Kingdom for inviting his country as guest of honor of Al-Janadriya Festival.

For the first time ever Saudi Arabia hosts presentation of Russian arts, culture and traditions, he said, noting that the relations between the two countries now make full-fledged strides, expressing pride that the works of Russian artists and intellectuals receive impressive interest of experts and people in the world at large and hoping that the Saudi people will follow suit.

Before the King's departure, a number of cultural events, including recitation of poetry, singing, folklore and acting were performed.

The event was attended by Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Bandar bin Mohammed bin Abdulrahman; Prince Mit'eb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Acting Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Interior; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence, other princes, state guests, ministers, festival's guests, senior civil and military officials and a group of citizens.

On the other hand, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to push Israel to freeze construction in West Bank settlements and open blockaded Gaza Strip borders, an aide said Wednesday.

Clinton arrived in the West Bank under heavy security Wednesday and first met with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. She repeated that the U.S. was committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and she praised Fayyad's plan for rebuilding Gaza.

Fayyad's government outlined the plan Monday at an international donors' conference for the territory, which was heavily damaged in the recent Israeli military offensive. Donors raised $5.2 billion for Gaza and Fayyad's government, with the U.S. pledging $900 million.

Palestinian leaders are watching closely for signs of change in U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even Palestinian moderates were disappointed with the previous U.S. administration's failure to take Israel to task for accelerated settlement construction in 2008, when the two sides were holding U.S.-backed peace talks.

The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza, areas Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Settlement expansion in the Palestinian-claimed areas undercuts Abbas' standing at home.

In Jerusalem on Tuesday, Clinton said the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a peace agreement with Israel "seems inescapable."

But Abbas has little to show for a year of peace talks with Israel's outgoing government, and Israel's prime minister-designate, hard-line leader Benjamin Netanyahu, does not support the establishment of a Palestinian state. Clinton met with Netanyahu, as well as Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak, the outgoing foreign and defense ministers, on Tuesday.

Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said the Palestinian leader is seeking a tougher U.S. stance toward Israel. "The main point is that the Israeli government needs to accept the two-state solution and ... stop settlement expansion," Erekat said.

He said Abbas would specifically raise Israeli construction plans in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as their future capital.

The future of Hamas-ruled Gaza is also on the agenda. Abbas lost control of Gaza in June 2007, when his rival, the Islamic militant Hamas, seized control by force. Israel and Egypt closed Gaza's borders in response, a policy tacitly supported by the international community, which shuns Hamas as a terrorist group.

However, the blockade has come under renewed scrutiny following Israel's three-week military offensive against Hamas, which ended in an informal cease-fire Jan. 18. Some 15,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the war, meant to halt Palestinian rocket fire on southern Israel, and international aid officials say Gaza's borders need to reopen to make reconstruction possible.

"We want the U.S. to help us open the passages to get material for reconstruction into Gaza," Erekat said. In her meeting with Barak on Tuesday, Clinton urged easing the flow of goods into Gaza to alleviate the hardships of ordinary Gazans, Israeli officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

Currently, Israel allows several dozen truckloads of aid to get into Gaza every day, but bars the entry of concrete, pipes and other materials that would be crucial for reconstruction. Israel argues that such shipments could be seized by Hamas and used for building bunkers or rockets.

The Gaza offensive did not end the rocket fire, and on Wednesday, Israeli aircraft struck three tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt border that militants are suspected of using to smuggle in weapons.

In Jerusalem on Tuesday, Clinton demanded that Hamas cease its rocket attacks, saying Israel should not "be expected to sit idly by and allow rockets (to) assault its people and its territory."

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Wednesday that Clinton's remarks throughout her Mideast trip have been "totally biased in favor of the Zionist occupation and do not reflect any change in American foreign policy."

Separately, Clinton also announced Tuesday that the U.S. would dispatch two envoys to Syria in an effort to warm frosty relations — part of a bigger set of diplomatic maneuvers the Obama administration is juggling as it attempts to steer a new course toward a broad Middle East peace.

Clinton teamed up with embattled Palestinian leader Abbas on Wednesday in telling Iran to butt out of the region.

In wrapping up her first Mideast trip as secretary of state, Clinton joined with the Palestinian Authority president in denouncing the call of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for all Muslims to join the "resistance" to Israel.

"We are sending a message to the Iranians and others: Stop interfering in our affairs," said Abbas, who is locked in a power struggle in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

On a brief stop in Ramallah, Clinton charged that the Iranians "are interfering only to deepen the rift between Palestinians." The Iranians were seeking to "intimidate as far as they think their voice can reach," Clinton said.

In Tehran, Khamenei said in a statement that "support and help to Palestinians is a mandatory duty of all Muslims. I now tell all Muslim brothers and sisters to join forces and break the immunity of the Zionist criminals."

The hugs and kisses that marked Clinton's earlier visit to Jerusalem were markedly absent from her more formal meetings with Abbas and his prime minister, Salam Fayyad.

In response to a reporter's question, Clinton voiced her only negative note about Israeli policy, branding a decision to evict 1,400 Palestinians in East Jerusalem and destroy 88 homes there as "unhelpful."

Clinton, in an unusual public criticism of Israel, said Wednesday that its plan to destroy dozens of Palestinian homes in Arab East Jerusalem was "unhelpful" and contrary to Israel's obligations under a U.S.-backed peace plan.

Clinton, closing her first foray into Middle East peacemaking, said the implications of the decision to raze the homes for an archaeological project "go far beyond" the 88 homes affected by Israel's plans. She said she would raise that issue, as well as concern over the growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, with Israeli officials.

Clinton's comments were delivered with some emotion during an appearance with Abbas, and came at a time when both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are scrutinizing her words to try to divine where her loyalties lie and what to expect from the Obama administration.

Israeli authorities have been embroiled in controversy for years over plans for an East Jerusalem archaeological site devoted to Jewish history and sites associated with the biblical King David. The homeowners in the Silwan quarter have now received eviction notices saying the buildings were built illegally and are to be torn down.

The battle is part of a larger struggle for control of Jerusalem. Israel declares the city as its capital, and Palestinians envision East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

The planned destruction of Palestinian homes was not Clinton's only criticism of Israel during the trip. She also said that she had expressed concern in "numerous settings" to Israelis about restrictions on the passage of goods into Gaza.

Clinton held meetings with top Israeli and Palestinian officials beginning Tuesday morning. Her main intent, aides said, was to listen and start building key relationships.

On Tuesday, she met with Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu of the right-wing Likud party. Both vowed to cooperate closely, according to one participant, despite their apparent differences on the goal of building a state for Palestinians.