|
|
March 11, 2005 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|||||
THE SAUDI CROWN PRINCE BRIEFS THE CABINET ON THE CONTENTS OF TALKS HELD WITH SYRIA'S PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD AND JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH II. THE CABINET WELCOMES THE WITHDRAWAL OF SYRIAN TROOPS FROM LEBANON AND LOOKS FORWARD TO COMPLETING THE PULLBACK OF ALL SYRIAN TROOPS LEBANON IN THE NEAR FUTURE. DISCUSSION OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN A TELEPHONE CALL FROM PRESIDENT BUSH TO PRINCE ABDULLAH. Jordan's King Abdallah II wrapped up a brief visit to the Saudi capital after holding wide-ranging talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard. The talks focused on the latest developments in the Arab world after the killing of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and Saturday's announcement of a Syrian troop pullback from Lebanon by President Bashar Assad. "The talks between Saudi and Jordanian leaders covered the whole gamut of regional and international developments with special reference to the Syrian announcement of troop withdrawal from Lebanon," said Arab diplomatic sources here. Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which reaffirmed their commitment to peace and security in the region, support a Syrian troop withdrawal in compliance with the Taif Accord of 1989 and UN Security Council Resolution 1559. The talks were attended by Interior Minister Prince Naif and Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and, on the Jordanian side, by Premier Faisal Al-Fayez and Prince Hashim ibn Al-Hussain. The sources said: "The Saudi and Jordanian officials also discussed the prospects of peace talks with Israel." A report by Deutsche Presse-Agentur quoted officials in Amman as saying that Jordan's efforts to improve relations with Israel, the situation in Iraq and the renewal of an oil grant of 50,000 barrels a day to Jordan were high on the agenda of the talks. Since the launching of the US-led war on Iraq in March 2003, Jordan has depended on oil grants from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Jordan's Foreign Minister Hani Mulki was in Israel yesterday. Israel and Jordan agreed to cooperate on building a canal between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea in order to prevent the Dead Sea drying up, said Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres. The project was discussed during talks in Jerusalem between Peres and Mulki, the most senior Amman official to hold talks in the Jewish state in nearly four years. Mulki was due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon later. On Riyadh-Amman relations, the sources said "they are cordial." A delegation of the Saudi Health Ministry is currently visiting Jordan to negotiate contracts with 500 Jordanian medics to work in Saudi Arabia. Abdul Karim Sayegh, chairman of the Saudi committee tasked with negotiating the contracts, said the move seeks to replace foreign labor in Saudi Arabia with Arabs from neighboring countries. On the other hand Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, chaired the cabinet's weekly session at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh. At the outset of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the contents of talks held with Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad and Jordan's King Abdullah II on the events, latest developments at the Arab, Islamic and international arenas, aspects of joint cooperation and ways of their enhancement in all fields. The Cabinet was also informed of the contents of messages, talks and contacts exchanged between the Kingdom and a number of Arab and friendly countries on the events in the region, the latest regional and international developments and the Kingdom's stand towards them. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Iyad Ibn Amin Madani, the Minister of Culture and Information, said that the Cabinet welcomed the announcement made by Syria's President about the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. The Cabinet looked forward to implementing the mechanisms of the withdrawal, which were announced at the conclusion of the meeting of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council and to completing the pullback of all Syrian troops remaining in Lebanon in the near future. The Cabinet called on the Lebanese people to overcome the crisis, preserve Lebanon's unity and stability, make dialogue prevail among various political powers and avoid any division. The Cabinet praised the final communiqué issued in Cairo by Arab foreign ministers in their 123rd session which included decisions on various issues of concern to the Arab world and their assertion to activate the Arab Peace Initiative and to internationally submit it. The Minister of Culture and Information said the Cabinet then discussed a number of local items on its agenda and issued the following decisions: To ensure more protection and to curb infiltration into the Internet, the Cabinet approved inserting a new paragraph, carrying the number 14, to Article 37 of the Communications System to read as follows: "Causing harm to communications networks and to public information technology, attacking or interrupting them either to illegally use them or deliberately intersect communications or prevent data exchange in general ...." etc. The Cabinet ordered that other paragraphs should be re-adjusted accordingly. Cabinet authorized the Minister of Labor or his deputy to discuss with the German side re-activating the cooperation agreement in the field of technical education and vocational training between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, sign it after amending Articles 6 and 9 of the agreement and forward the final version for further authentication. The Cabinet approved the draft Strategy and National Action Program for fighting desertification and working for alleviating drought impacts in the Kingdom. The Cabinet also approved the final account of the National Resources Development Fund for the fiscal year ending December 30, 2003. On the other hand Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, received a telephone call from President George W. Bush of the United States of America. During the call, they discussed bilateral relations and regional and international developments. Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs, received US ambassador to the Kingdom James Oberwetter. They reviewed aspects of cooperation between the Kingdom and the US. Secretary General of the Riyadh-based Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Ibn Hamad Al-Attiyah arrived in Sanaa today on a three-day visit to Yemen during which he will meet with Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Salih and senior Yemeni officials. Al-Attiyah was received at Sanaa International airport by Foreign Minister Dr. Abu Baker Al-Qirbi, Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Ibn Mirdas Al-Qahtani and Oman's ambassador to Yemen Abdullah Ibn Hamad Ibn Marzouq. In a statement to Yemen Press Agency, Al-Attiyah said his visit is aiming at activating partnership between Yemen and GCC member states, especially the issue of Yemen's accession to the GCC. Secretary General of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Al-Atiyyah on a 3-day visit to Yemen in response to an invitation from the Yemeni Government. He was welcomed at Sanaa International Airport by Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi. In a press statement, Al-Atiyyah underlined the importance of genuine partnership between the GCC member states and Yemen. He noted that he will review with the Yemeni officials issues pertaining to cooperation between the GCC and Yemen. Al-Atiyyah pointed out that Yemen has already joined some of the GCC organs like the Executive Council of the GCC Health Ministers, the Council of the GCC Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs as well as the Arab Bureau for Education in the Gulf States (ABEGS) and the Arab Gulf Football Cup. The GCC is made up of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Yemen reiterated its wish to join the Gulf Cooperation Council saying it's qualified for the GCC membership. "A full membership for Yemen in the GCC will reflect the historical ties that links it with Arab Gulf countries," Yemen's Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi said during talks with GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah. Al-Qirbi, however, acknowledged that "there are many dissimilarities between Yemen and its Gulf neighbors," but he said discussions over those aspects should be based on "transparency and trust." "We realize that we face a set of obstacles that we must overcome to gain membership," he said. Yemen has been trying since 1996 to join the Gulf Arab forum that was established in 1981 and groups Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Yemen, located at the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is making progress in improving relations with the Gulf countries that deteriorated after Yemen backed Iraq during the invasion of Kuwait. The GCC Secretary-General told Yemeni leaders that their country should make economic legislations similar to those enforced in other Gulf countries. At a meeting with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Attiyah also asked Yemen to join the Gulf Arab Free Trade Zone and other Gulf economic bodies. According to Yemen's state-run Saba news agency, Saleh has instructed his government to accelerate work on making the Yemeni legislation compatible with that of other Gulf states. Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Salih received Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Abdul Rahman Ibn Hamad Al-Attiyah. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh called for the country's laws to be adapted to conform with those of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) within two months to ease its economic integration into the group of oil monarchies. GCC Secretary General Abdul-Rahman Al-Attiyah told Saleh in Sana'a that Yemen could take part in the GCC's free trade, patenting and standardization cooperation. Following their meeting, the Yemeni leader said he had "ordered the competent authorities to hasten the adaptation of Yemeni laws to the laws of the Gulf... in a period not exceeding two months," official Yemeni sources said. "The countries of the GCC and Yemen will complement each other, which will benefit both sides," Saleh said, noting that GCC exports to Yemen total 1.6 billion dollars annually. Later Al-Attiyah met with Yemen's Prime Minister Abdulqader Bajammal. During the meetings they discussed bilateral relations and means of cooperation between Yemen and GCC member States. Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Ibn Hamad Al-Atiyyah left Sanaa after a three-day visit to Yemen. In a departure statement, he said that his talks with Yemeni officials focused on the enhancement of cooperation between the GCC countries and Yemen in economic and commercial fields along with consultation and coordination on Arab issues. Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdul-Rahman Al-Attiyah stated that his visit to Yemen was "fruitful and successful." Upon his departure, Attiyah pointed out to the positive results of his meetings with President Ali Abdullah Saleh and top Yemeni officials. He added that the meeting focused on topics of enhancing the relations between Yemen and GCC states and economic cooperation. "We discussed the issue of activating the role of the joint Yemeni-GCC work teams," he said. He explained that Yemen and the GCC agreed on the implementation of a number of issues such as the accession of Yemen into the GCC Measures Authority and the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consultation. He concluded by saying that a number of new activities reflecting the cooperation between Yemen and the GCC will be launched soon. At Sanaa airport, Al-Atiyyah was seen off by a number of officials and GCC member states ambassadors accredited to Yemen. Yemen is to join the Gulf Cooperative Council's Standards Board and the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consultation, as well as the GCC's patent-issuing authority as a result of deals struck during the visit by Gulf Secretary General of the GCC, Abdul-Rahman Al-Attiyah. Sana'a will also host a conference on investment in Yemen that will be attended by all economic and commercial institutions in the Gulf. To demonstrate Yemen's enthusiasm for the GCC, President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered that all Yemeni investment laws be aligned with those in the GCC within 60 days of Al-Attiyah's visit. Al-Attiyah meanwhile offered Yemen the opportunity to join the Gulf Free Trade Zone, a suggestion that was welcomed by the President, who also asked for a fund to subsidize Yemeni goods to protect the fragile Yemeni economy. He emphasized the mutual benefits Yemen and the Gulf states could obtain through further integration, indicating that the annual GCC's exports to Yemen amount to $1.8 billion. Dr. Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, Yemen's Foreign Minister, said the agreement paves the way for future cooperation through joint technical committees. "These are merely procedural steps to help decision-makers adopt the right resolutions," said Al-Qirbi, adding, "However, Yemen and the GCC's future requires a political decision from the GCC's leaders, and all current moves are only steps to bring that closer." On another scale Spokesman for Foreign Political Affairs at the German Christian Democratic Party Floger, who accompanied Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder during his recent tour of member states of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said on Monday that the tour had yielded 'positive' results. He said that he had felt the keenness of the legislative councils in the GCC states, notably in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on enhancing parliamentary cooperation with Germany and the countries of the European Union. 'I have felt the keenness of these countries on implementing democratic principles in a manner that suits the particularities of these countries', he said . He noted that the seminar on German-Arab dialogue, held in December 2004, was a beginning for a parliamentary cooperation between Europe, especially Germany with the legislative councils in the GCC states. |
|||||
