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April 7, 2006 |
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***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud made a telephone call to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. During the call, the Monarch expressed his condolences to President Ahmadinejad and all families of the deceased as a result of the earthquake that jolted west Iran. King Abdullah also expressed readiness of the Kingdom to provide whatever support for the needy. On his part, President Ahmadinejad thanked the King for his noble feelings. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud made call to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, extending his sympathy and condolences on the victims of the vessel that sank in the Bahraini waters. On his part, King Hamad thanked King Abdullah for his noble feelings. Arab and international mass media highlighted the speech delivered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz at the opening of the second year of the fourth session of the Shoura Council. News bulletins, televisions, radios, news agencies and newspapers quoted excerpts from the king's speech which focused on internal and external topics pertaining to the affairs of the society and kingdom's relations and contributions at the regional and international arenas. The media included Agence France Presse: Reuters: Deutsche Presse Agentur: and Arab news agencies and radios. Excerpts of the speech were also reported By Kuwaiti, Egyptian, Tunisian, Yemeni and Lebanese newspapers. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received at the royal court at Al-Yamamah palace Bahrain's Deputy Premier Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and the accompanying delegation. The Deputy Premier conveyed to the King the greetings of Bahrain's King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa. In turn, King Abdullah sent his greetings to the Bahraini King . the audience was attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General: Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister: Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief Of General Intelligence and a number of princes. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his office the Ambassador of Philippines to the kingdom Bahnarnm A. Gunnomla. During the audience, the Ambassador bade farewell to the Crown Prince on the occasion of the end of his work as ambassador of his country to the kingdom. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, received at his office the advisor to the Singaporean government Li Kwon Yu and accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they reviewed aspects of cooperating between the two friendly countries. Later, Prince Naif received the Chairman of Saudi Joint Committee for the relief of the people of Kosovo and Chechnya Dr. Salih Al Tuwaijri: Chairman Of The Islamic Mashikha in Kosovo General Mufti Sheikh Naeem Tartawa: and advisor of the Islamic Mashikha in Kosovo Sheikh Rasool Rajab. During the meeting, the committee's efforts in providing support for the people of Kosovo and Chechnya were discussed. Prince Ahmad Ibn Abdul Aziz Deputy Interior Minister said said that terrorism should end, not only through cooperation of security bodies but by the whole nation to combat it and find out its supporters. Prince Ahmad pointed out that terrorism preoccupies every security man in the world since it leads to losses of lives. We don't want terrorism, but we want safety and stability, the Prince said. The Prince stressed that terrorism is an abnormal act, very bad and contrary to religion, norms and humanity. He noted that terrorism has become an international matter. The Prince was speaking at a ceremony for presenting the Prince Khalid Ibn Ahmad Al Sudairi prize for educational achievement in Sudair. Presided over by its Chairman Dr. Salih Bin Abdullah Bin Homaid, the Shoura Council held an ordinary session in Riyadh. During the session, the Chairman highlighted the inaugural ceremony of the second year of the fourth session of the council patronized by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz. following the session, the Secretary General of the Shoura Council Dr. Salih Bin Abdullah Al Malik said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency that the council voted during the session on forming the specialized committees and approved those committees. The Council also named the committees' chairmen and their deputies. The council also approved a request to amend article number 107 of the officers service regulation and article 23 of the personnel service regulation. Saudi Arabia denied a German magazine report that it was working on a secret nuclear program with the help of Pakistani experts. The report "is totally unfounded," a Defense Ministry spokesman told the Saudi Press Agency, adding that Riyadh "advocates imposing nuclear non-proliferation in the (Middle East) region." Pakistan also rejected the report. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has dispatched 15 thousands copies of the Holy Quran to Indonesia to fill the gap in mosques and schools. This was the first batch from a total of 50 thousands copies that will be sent to Indonesia. Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said he was willing to visit Syria on the basis of "building good relations between the two countries." In a speech to reporters after the meeting with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Lebanese Premier said his meeting with the Saudi leader centered on the "Lebanese-Syrian relations, and we have the same viewpoints and principles regarding these relations." He added "I am willing and ready to visit Syria to build good relations and resolve all the pending issues between us. However, I wish to study this visit to its fullest and to be sure of it before I announce it." "This meeting is aimed at informing the king of the important steps that we took in Lebanon, especially the outcome of the national dialogue," he added. Speaking before his departure to return to Lebanon, Siniora said: "The king praised the outcome of the dialogue and its importance to reach common convictions on many issues of importance." Asked whether there were any initiatives proposed by the Saudi king to aid Lebanon, Siniora said "The king told me that his country is all set to support Lebanon in all fields." Saudi Arabia and Yemen reviewed the situation of trade between the two countries. In a meeting, Yemen's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul Kareem Al-Arhabi discussed with the Director General of Exports Promotion Program, an affiliate of the Saudi Development Fund, Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Ghannam the developments in the field of trade between the two sides. Al-Arhabi said Saudi Arabia has become Yemen's biggest partner, noting that trade exchange size between the two countries increased to five folds in 2005. The Minister of Transport Dr. Jubarah Bin Eid Al-Suraisri received the French Minister o Foreign Trade Christine Lagarde and the accompanying delegation. Welcoming the French Minister and thanking her for the visit, Dr. Al-Suraisri commended the strong relations between the two countries in various fields. They reviewed development of relations between the two countries in the fields of roads, transportation and railways. The meeting was attended by a number of officials. The Minister Of Commerce Dr Hashim Yamani met The French Minister of Foreign Trade Christine Lagarde. They reviewed aspects of trade and industrial cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France. The meeting was attended by Under Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for Foreign Trade Abdullah Al-Hamoudi and other senior officials. At least 57 bodies have been recovered in the Persian Gulf off Bahrain after a cruise boat carrying 137 people capsized the night before. Sixty-seven people were rescued and 13 remain missing, Bahrain Interior Ministry officials said. An Interior Ministry spokesman provided nationalities of the dead who had been identified: three Filipinos, four South Africans, two Singaporeans, five Pakistanis, one German, one Irish, 13 Britons and 17 Indians. Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Hassan said the cause of the boat's sinking was not known and is being investigated. Witnesses told the British Foreign Office that the boat capsized on its way back into port. The Head of the Future Parliamentary Bloc MP Saad Hariri received, at koreytem, the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, Ahmad Jibril, and the Assistant Secretary General Tallal Naji and the Front responsible in Lebanon Anwar Raja. Discussions tackled the situation of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and the necessity to take efficient measures to implement the decisions of the National Dialogue conference, and the Palestinians issue under all its possible angles. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Jeddah and discussed with its Secretary-General, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, regional developments and concerns. At the press conference that followed the meeting, Ihsanoglu, commended Turkey for its support to the organization and discussed agreements and future plans. Prime Minister Erdogan expressed Turkey's continued support to the organization, fully realizing the growing responsibility of the OIC. Answering a question on Turkey's support for the Palestinian cause, Erdogan said that the elections there is an indication of democracy taking place without conflict, an election that was transparent within the climate of freedom. "We consider it an important step in the democratic process and the choice of the people should be respected by all countries," he said, referring to the US-led drive to financially isolate the Palestinians for results of the election that was deemed by the international community as free and fair. He urged the current Palestinian government, including members of the losing Fatah Party, to work with President Mahmoud Abbas and within UN resolutions. "Efforts should focus on preserving gains and on dialogue." On how Turkey's relationship with Israel would change if Hamas continues its policy of not recognizing Israel as a legitimate sovereign state and if the situation there deteriorates further the Prime Minister said. "We will not stop at Hamas' recognition of Israel, but also seek Israel's recognition of Hamas,". He called for dialogue between Hamas and Israel. A delegation from the NATO Parliamentary Association arrived in Oman on a several days' visit to the Sultanate. The delegation, met a number of senior officials amongst whom the Chief of Staff of the armed forces General Ahmad bin Hareth Al Nabahani and visited many historical and cultural landmarks in the Sultanate. The delegation was received on arrival by a number of officials of the Majlis Al Shura. Saudi Minister of Agriculture Dr Fahd Bin Abdul Rahman Balghunaim held a session of talks with Egyptian Minister of Investment Dr. Mahmoud Mohieddin. Dr. Balghunaim reaffirmed the strong desire of Saudi businessmen for further enhancement of investment in Egypt. Welcoming the Saudi Minister and a delegation of Saudi businessmen, the Egyptian Minister noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranks first among Arab countries in investment in Egypt. Earlier, the Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Eng. Rashid Mohammed Rashid held a luncheon in honour of the Saudi Minister. The banquet was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Hisham Mohieddin Nazer. One of Al-Qaeda members, who fled from the Political Prison, in Yemen surrendered to the police two days ago, informed sources stated. The number of Al-Qaeda people who gave themselves up so far is six out of twenty three, according to sources. Hizam Saleh Mojali was sentenced to death, by the appeal division in Competent Penal Court, beside Fawaz Al-Roba'i for killing the policeman Hameed Khasroof. The United Arab Emirates has signed a memorandum of understanding with Britain for security cooperation. Interior Minister Sheikh Saif Ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan signed the agreement for the UAE and Kim Howells, minister of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, signed for Britain. Senior officials, including Maj. Gen. Saif Al-Shaafar, undersecretary at the Interior Ministry and Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Jenaiby, deputy commander of police in Abu Dhabi, attended the signing ceremony. The eight-page security pact calls for cooperation in combating terrorist activities, all types of organized crime and illicit trade in drugs, narcotics, weapons and explosives as well as weapons of mass destruction and their components. "The agreement also covers joint efforts to fight economic crimes, money laundering, Internet crime and forgery," an official statement said. The two countries will also exchange information related to wanted criminals and missing persons and provide information to prevent crimes and complete investigations. The MOU also includes conducting joint training courses to improve the skills and capabilities of security officers. "The agreement reflects the UAE's desire to strengthen international cooperation to combat all forms of crime," Sheikh Saif said after signing the accord. "This MOU is part of a series of security agreements signed by the UAE with other countries," he said, adding that such accords were aimed at strengthening security and stability in the world. U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said that Iran posed no imminent threat and imposing sanctions on Tehran would be a "bad idea." Iran says it wants only civilian nuclear power and rejected a U.N. Security Council statement adopted on Wednesday calling for a freeze on uranium enrichment and a report from the U.N. nuclear agency on Iranian compliance in 30 days. "Sanctions are a bad idea. We are not facing an imminent threat. We need to lower the pitch," ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told a forum in the Qatari capital, Doha. "My message to Iran: the international community is getting impatient and you need to respond by arming me with information," he said. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said earlier that sanctions could follow if Iran refused to halt its enrichment programme as demanded by the U.N Security Council last Wednesday. ElBaradei said: "There is no military solution to this situation. It's inconceivable. The only durable solution is a negotiated solution." "I work on facts, we fortunately were proven right in Iraq, we were the only ones that said at the time that Iraq did not have nuclear weapons and I hope this time people will listen to us," he added. Iran restarted its nuclear enrichment programme earlier this year but insists its aim is to develop energy, not weapons. "Nobody has the right to punish Iran for enrichment," ElBaradei said. "We have not seen nuclear material diverted to a nuclear weapon but we are not saying that the programme is used exclusively for peaceful purposes because we still have work to do." The world's big powers told Iran it must heed the U.N. order to curb its nuclear programme or face isolation, but Tehran has refused to budge. In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the international community still aimed to find a diplomatic solution to the stand-off. Russia and China firmly oppose any sanctions, let alone force, and insisted on removing language in the U.N. statement that they feared could lead down that path. Four men convicted of kidnapping five Italian tourists have been sentenced to 20 years each by a Yemeni court. The four al-Zaaidi tribesman were found guilty of planning and carrying out the kidnapping. Two other defendants were given five and 10 year sentences for their part in the abductions. The Italians, three women and two men, were freed in January after a five-day ordeal in Yemen's volatile Marib region, following a standoff between security forces and the kidnappers. According to Yemeni law jail sentences of between 10 and 25 years are prescribed for kidnappings while those who harm their hostages face the death sentence. More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped in the impoverished country over the last decade. The Security Council asked UN chief Kofi Annan to strike a deal with Lebanon on creating an international tribunal to try suspects in the murder of Lebanon's ex-premier, Argentina's ambassador said. Cesar Mayoral, the president of the Security Council for March, told reporters that the 15-member body would vote Tuesday on a French-drafted resolution urging Annan to negotiate an accord on the tribunal for suspects in the slaying of Rafiq Hariri. Diplomats said the text was virtually certain to be adopted. The draft, made available, also asks Annan "to submit in a timely manner for the consideration of the Council a report on the implementation of this resolution ... including options for a funding mechanism appropriate to ensure the continued and effective functioning of the tribunal." In a report, Annan suggested creation of a mixed tribunal involving Lebanese and international judges that "would best balance the need for Lebanese and international involvement in the work of the tribunal." "That balance would be determined by such important characteristics as the tribunal's founding instrument, applicable law, location, composition and financial arrangements," it added. It noted that Lebanese authorities believe that for security reasons the court should be established outside Lebanon. Iran would fully go nuclear with the current Persian year, which started simultaneously with spring on March 20, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said. "Our enemies try to prevent our scientific progress through wide- spread propaganda but InshAllah (God willing) this (new) year will be the year when the Islamic Republic of Iran will fully avail itself of peaceful nuclear technology," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the news agency ISNA. Minister of Trade and Industry Khalid Sheikh presented to the international forum in Jeddah a working paper on Yemen's efforts to gain the membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The working paper by Yemen to the forum, organized by the Islamic Bank for Development, highlighted the results of past talks between WTO and Yemen and issues being currently negotiated with WTO, deputy minister of trade Salim Salman stated. Salman said that during the forum interviews were held with experts to benefit from their experiences in the WTO joining process. The Islamic Bank for Development organized the forum to deeply discuss difficulties hindering joining WTO and conditions should be met for gaining the membership. The Secretary General of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) Dr Abdullah Al-Turki received the Syrian Minister of Endowments Dr Ziaduddin Al-Ayyoubi. Speaking on the occasion, Al-Ayyoubi reiterated the keenness of the Syrian Ministry of Endowments on enhancing cooperation with the MWL in the field of organizing joint conferences and seminars. The Saudi Popular Relief Campaign for the Pakistani People continues to provide ongoing aid to the victims of the October 8 earthquake there. Recently, the organization signed a contract with a local company to obtain 50,000 food baskets from Pakistani markets. The food aid will be transported via trucks to the campaign's warehouses in Islamabad, then distributed to the affected regions. The first batch of food supplies, approximately 7,000 food baskets, will arrive in Islamabad on Monday, according to the campaign's executive director, Yousef Al-Rubei'an. Each basket contains enough flour, rice, oil, sugar, milk dates and canned food to feed a medium-sized family for a month. |