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April 28, 2006 |
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CROWN PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ MEETS WITH THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE YEMENI SPEAKER AND THE PORTUGUESE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS. THE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PALESTINIAN ISSUES AND THE EFFORTS EXERTED TO CALM THE SITUATION BETWEEN JORDAN AND SYRIA. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono co-chaired the official Saudi-Indonesian talks. King Abdullah adorned the Indonesian President with King Abdul Aziz Medal which is a tradition to honor every King or President of friendly countries, who visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On his part, the Indonesian President adorned King Abdullah with the Medal of "Adi -Borna" of the excellent class, which is the highest medal in Indonesia. During the official talks, King Abdullah and President Yudhoyono reviewed bilateral relations and the latest developments at Islamic and international arenas. On the Saudi side the officials talks were attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General; Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, the minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh region; Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Vice-Governor of Riyadh region; Dr Fu'ad al-Faresi, the minister of Hajj, and Dr Nizar Madani, the minister of state for foreign affairs. On the Indonesian side, the talks were attended by ministers of foreign affairs; economic affairs; energy and mineral resources; trade; manpower and immigration and religious affairs as well as other senior officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud held a dinner party at his palace in Riyadh in honor of the president of Indonesia Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and accompanying delegation. The function was attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Fahd Ibn Mohammed Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Mit'eb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Region: Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh region, princes, ministers, and senior civil and military officials. President of Indonesia Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Riyadh on a several day state visit to the Kingdom. He was received at Riyadh air base by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud; Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Mit'eb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior; Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Faisal Ibn Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Assistant Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor to the King; ministers, senior civil and military officials and Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom Dr. Salih Saqaf Aljeffery. The Indonesian president was accompanied by a high-level official delegation. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation And Inspector General, held a luncheon party at his palace in Riyadh in honor of the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the accompanying delegation. The function was attended by Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Mit'eb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior; Prince Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud; Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Khalid Ibn Abdullah Ibn Mohammed; Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General For Military Affairs, other princes, ministers and senior civil and military officials. On the Indonesian side, the function was attended by the president's accompanying delegation and Indonesian ambassador to the kingdom Salim Saqaf Aljeffry. Visiting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the accompanying delegation visited Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. A speech ceremony was held on the occasion. In his speech, the Indonesian President praised the university as a model for Muslims' great interest in knowledge and hailed Saudi-Indonesian close relations. Visiting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono attended the Saudi - Indonesian business forum, which was held at the headquarters of the Saudi chambers of commerce and industry in Riyadh. Addressing the forum, chairman of the Saudi chambers of commerce and industry Abdul Rahman Al Jeraisi said this meeting is a follow-up of the continuing dialogue between Saudi and Indonesian businessmen to improve the investment and commercial relations between the peoples of the two countries, noting that the total trade between the two countries stood at $2.38 billion in 2004. On his part, the president said Saudi Arabia stands in the heartland of the Islamic world, while Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population. And both countries are striving to modernize, to carry out meaningful social reforms. Hence, we ought to cooperate to achieve developing firm ties. He added that we have a long tradition of solidarity. On various occasions when Indonesia was in difficulties, Saudi Arabia was among the first of our friends to come to our aid. And we have similar views on many regional international issues. He said in 2004, Saudi Arabia was the biggest country that invested in Indonesia with total value of us$3.02 billion including 35 projects in several sectors such as energy, oil and gas, metal, chemical industry, hotels, restaurants, real estate, and other sectors. In 2005, Saudi Arabia's investment reached the amount of $2.1 billion. He added that Indonesian investors in Saudi Arabia are there not only to tap the sizable Saudi market but also by the wider GCC market. Likewise, Saudi investors can take advantage of the Asean free trade area , using Indonesia as gateway to this vast market of half a billion people. The president said Indonesian businessmen can play a role in the development of your oil and gas infrastructure by providing construction equipment and materials as well as services. In conclusion, he expressed readiness of his government to facilitate resolution of any problem and to promote any opportunity that will emerge in this ongoing growth to our economic relations. We see your accession to the WTO as important component of your economic program and we fully support it, he said. The forum was attended by Dr. Fu'ad Ibn Abdul Salam Al Farsi, the Minister of Hajj, and Indonesian ambassador to the kingdom Dr. Salim Saqaf Aljeffery, members of the Saudi chambers of commerce and industry, and a number of businessmen. Visiting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received at his guest residence at the conferences palace in Riyadh Prince Al Waleed Ibn Talal Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the board of directors of the kingdom holding company. During the meeting, they discussed a number of economic and investment issues. Following the meeting, Prince Al Waleed told the Saudi Press Agency that he presented to the president the company's projects in Indonesia, including five hotels. He highlighted the firmness and strength of the Saudi economy under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Adbullah Ibn Abdul Aziz. He considered the Indonesian president's visit a precious opportunity for the private sectors in the two countries to further boost economic cooperation. The meeting was attended by the Indonesian president's accompanying delegation. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his accompanying delegation left Riyadh for Makkah to perform Umra rituals. They were seen off at Riyadh Airbase Airport by Riyadh Airbase Commander Mohammad bin Salem Al-Me'tani, members of Indonesian Embassy and a representative from the royal protocol. President Yudhoyono was accompanied by Minister of Hajj Dr. Fuad bin Abdulsalam Al-Farsi and Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr. Salem Saqqaf Al-Jefri. On the other hand Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his palace in Riyadh the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands Laurens Jan Brinkhorst and accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they reviewed aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them. The audience was attended by the minister of economy and planning Khalid Mohammed Al-Gosaibi, senior protocol officials and Netherlands ambassador to the kingdom Nicolaa Breetx. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his palace in Riyadh the speaker of Yemen's house of representatives Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar and accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they exchanged cordial talks and reviewed matters of mutual concern. The audience was attended by senior protocol officials . Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received the Portuguese Minister of State & Foreign Affairs Diogo Freitas Do Amaral and the accompanying delegation. They reviewed issues of mutual interest. The reception was attended by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and the Portuguese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Henric Manuel Silvera Porgas. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General received a group of citizens who came to greet him. The reception was attended by the Chief of the Crown Prince's Court Ali bin Ibraheem Al-Hudaithi. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, received Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Al-sheikh, the General Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Sultan announced the government's plan to license two private airline companies shortly to operate domestic flights and cargo services alongside state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines. "The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) will soon invite those who want to invest in this sector to present their applications," he said, adding that two companies based in Riyadh and Dammam would be selected. In a statement after presiding over a meeting of GACA's board of directors in Riyadh, he said the board had agreed on the timeframe to issue such licenses as well as the standards set for private airline companies. He said the new private carriers would be allowed to provide services such as transportation of passengers, goods and posts between the Kingdom's airports. "The move comes in line with the civil aviation authority's efforts to promote air transport services in the Kingdom by creating competition among airline companies," the Saudi Press Agency quoted the crown prince as saying. Prince Sultan also hoped that the arrival of private airlines would help provide more seats to the growing number of passengers, especially pilgrims intending to perform Haj and Umrah and people visiting tourist resorts in various parts of the Kingdom. A number of aviation companies have expressed their desire to operate domestic flights. Sama is one of them. Prince Bandar Ibn Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of Sama, said recently that paperwork related to the licensing procedure was proceeding well. Prince Bandar said his airline would cover all routes in the Kingdom as well as those in the Gulf and North Africa. Sama intends to operate Boeing 737-300 aircraft with an economy-class configuration in line with the prevailing trend seen in low-budget airlines. National Air Services (NAS) is another company eying the Saudi domestic aviation market. NAS recently launched its Al-Khayala VIP service. Khalil A. Kordi, its chairman, said Al-Khayala would operate four scheduled flights per day between Riyadh and Jeddah from Saturday to Wednesday, along with charter flights on weekdays, weekends and official holidays to regional tourist destinations. Each round-trip will cost SR3,000. Al-Tayyar Travel Group is also seeking a license to operate a private airline in the Kingdom. "We have already presented an application to the government to license a domestic airline company," Nasser Al-Tayyar, CEO of the group, said last year. He said the new company would have an initial capital of $50 million, adding that it would start operating domestic flights within six months after receiving the license. Al-Tayyar said his group was waiting for the government's privatization plans for Saudi Arabian Airlines. "We are 60 percent ready in terms of infrastructure facilities required for airline operations," he said, adding that there is an existing network of 150 branches in the Kingdom and abroad. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz telephoned Egyptian President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak. During the call, the king consoled the president on the victims and losses of the terrorist bombings, which took place in south Sinai. The president thanked the king for his sincere feelings. On the Palestinian arena the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pays its utmost care to the Palestinian issue. He said the Kingdom is working for the establishment of the Palestinian state with Al Quds as its capital. The Joint Saudi-Palestinian Commission since its establishment and under the supervision of Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz has participated in many project along with the UN different organizations to help alleviate the suffering of the Saudi people. The amounts paid to the Palestinian people through the Saudi Fund for Development are as follows: First: a donation from the Saudi government to the amount of $ 300 million to finance a number of projects. Second: the share of the Kingdom in Al Aqsa fund with $ 271 million. Third: the support provided from the Kingdom to the PA with an amount of $4, 388. Fourth: a donation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz to the Palestinian people to the amount of $ 6 million. Fifth: the total amounts offered reached $ 87,31 million in addition to the amounts paid through the Arab League to support the Palestinian budget and both Al Aqsa and Al Quds funds. The Kingdom has offered aid to the Palestinian people since the era of the founder of the Kingdom King Abdul Aziz Al Saud God Bless his soul. Through its cooperation with the several specialized organizations the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken part through the final support provided to these organizations in the building of the Palestinian infrastructure and in the relief works provided to the oppresses Palestinian people. Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Al-Zahhar said that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on top of the countries which "committed" to giving aid to the Palestinian people," SPA said a newspaper reported. "A number of Arab countries that I have visited reaffirmed their intention to follow through with their commitment to the Palestinian people, on top of these countries was the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Al-Zahhar was quoted as saying by the Arabic language "Al-Riyadh" newspaper. Al-Zahhar, who is on was regional tour that included Egypt and Saudi Arabia, said that his government is largely depending on the tour for aid from the Palestinians' Arab neighbours. He described his meetings in the kingdom as "excellent" and said that Saudi officials had promised him to fulfill their aid pledges. Meanwhile, the German news agency 'DPA' said Saudi Arabia's permanent representative at the Arab League announced that the kingdom will give the Palestinians $300 million to fund a number of projects, including sewage system projects. Palestinian officials urged Arab and Islamic countries that pledge financial assistance to the Hamas-led government to pay their contributions immediately. "We urge all our Arab and Muslim countries that pledged financial aid to the Palestinian people to carry out their undertakings immediately," said Ghazi Hamed, spokesman for the government in the Gaza Strip. Hamed said the government was undergoing a "very acute crisis" thanks to severe sanctions by the United States, Israel and Europe. Several Arab and Islamic countries have pledged to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to help the government pay the salaries of some 140,000 Palestinian civil servants who have not received their March salaries. In Turkey Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas warned against a "social and economic catastrophe" in the Palestinian territories if economic assistance does not resume soon. "The loss of financial aid is the main problem, because it threatens to provoke a social end economic crisis in our country," he told reporters before meeting National Assembly speaker Bulent Arinc. "We are hoping for Turkey to play a major role (in resolving the crisis) because it is a friendly country that has good relations with all regional countries and is committed to peace and stability," he said. Abbas, who began held talks in Ankara seeking Turkey's help to overcome his authority's financial crisis and revive the Middle East peace process, told CNN-Turk television earlier that there is "a threat of possible famine" in the territories. Abbas hopes to convince Ankara to use its good relations with Israel, the United States and the European Union to find a compromise that will allow the resumption of financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. Both the EU -- the Palestinians' main donor with some 500 million euros (about 620 million dollars) a year -- and the United States suspended their assistance after the arrival to power in March of a government led by Hamas. The West wants Hamas to renounce its armed struggle, accept the principle of a negotiated settlement with Israel and recognize past Israeli-Palestinian agreements; the radical group has so far rejected all three demands. The Arab League (AL) has said it will transfer 50 million U.S. dollars this week to the Palestinian government led by Hamas despite Western efforts to isolate the group, The Egyptian Gazette reported. There were "no banking problems that would prevent the fund from being successfully transferred on Wednesday when Egyptian banks reopen after an expanded holiday," AL spokesman Hisham Youssef was quoted as saying. On the first leg of a tour that will also take him to Norway, Finland and France, Abbas met with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and opposition leader Deniz Baykal, and is scheduled to attend a working dinner with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul before flying to Oslo. "We will tell our Turkish brothers what is happening in the Palestinian territories," Abbas told reporters on his arrival here Sunday. "We will talk about political problems and the difficult economic conditions there. We will talk about what Turkey can do." He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamist-rooted government incurred the wrath of Israel, Turkey's closest regional ally, and the United States when it received a Hamas delegation for talks it said were aimed at convincing the group to renounce violence. "Turkey can play a part -- it is a major regional country that has good relations with the Palestinians, but also with Israel, the EU and the US," Abbas's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, who is accompanying the Palestinian leader, told AFP. "The president is doing all he can to persuade the world not to punish the Palestinian people and to find a mechanism that will allow the resumption of financial aid, because the economic situation is very serious," he said. In an interview with AFP, Abbas suggested that donors provide financial assistance directly to the Palestinain presidency rather than the government in order to bypass Hamas. The proposal is expected to be a top item on the agenda during his four-country tour as he also seeks support for a revival of the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process and against unilateral Israeli action in the West Bank. Israeli prime minister-designate Ehud Olmert has said he intends to draw the borders between Israel and the occupied West Bank with or without the consent of the Palestinians after the Hamas victory. To achieve this, he has said, he plans to annex several major Jewish settlements -- a move the Palestinian authority categorically rejects. "We want to mobilize international support against these unilateral measures Israel wants to impose, using the Hamas victory ... as a pretext," a member of the Palestinian delegation told AFP on condition of anonymity. "This message must also reach Washington." Meantime relations between Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas reached crisis point with their supporters clashing in the Gaza Strip after Hamas accused the president's party of selling out to Israel. The clashes in Gaza and mass Fatah protests across the West Bank broke out after Hamas political chief, Khaled Meshaal, accused Abbas of "plotting" against his group by vetoing its plan to create a security force made up of Palestinian fighters. "We can understand that Israel and America are persecuting us, and seeking ways to besiege and starve us, but what about the sons of our people who are plotting against us, who are following a studied plan to make us fail," Meshaal said from his base in Syria. Fatah's Revolutionary Council, its main decision-making body, promptly issued a statement accusing Meshaal of "igniting and preparing for civil war." And throughout yesterday, Fatah loyalists took to the streets, protesting Meshaal's remarks and demanding an apology. Abbas called "dangerous and surprising" Jordan's discovery of a cache of weapons attributed to Hamas. "The information I received from Jordan's prime minister and intelligence chief is dangerous and surprising at the same time," Abbas told reporters after meeting Jordan's Prime Minister Maarouf Bakhit. In Damascus an official source at the Foreign Ministry denied what was declared by the Jordanian government spokesman of smuggling arms to Jordan via Syria. The source told SANA "the claim that a military leader of Hamas residing in Syria was behind the operation is absolutely inaccurate and Syria has no knowledge of such a thing." The source added, "all leaders of Hamas present in Syria are political leaders doing simply political and media tasks and they are committed to the Syrian authorities position that does not allow launching any military activity from their territories." "Inserting the name of Syria in this allege is an issue that does not serve brotherly ties existing between Syria and Jordan," the source underlined. In Jordan says security forces have seized weapons and explosive devices cached in a depot nearby a village in northern Jordan, Government Spokesman Nasser Judeh stated. Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Judeh said large quantities of TNT and C4 explosives rocket launchers and missiles were found in the hideout. A group of Hamas members arrested last week were close to staging attacks inside the kingdom on orders from the Palestinian group's Syrian-based leadership, he added. "Security interrogations conducted by the General Intelligence Department and in presence of the State Security General Prosecutor with one of the detained suspects had proven they received instructions to execute operations from leaders of Hamas and specifically one of the military officials of Hamas currently based in Syria," Judeh told reporters. "They (the attacks) had reached a stage of implementation targeting installations and people in Jordan," he said. Security officials have conducted past surveillances of activities of Hamas members in Jordan. The activities were extremely dangerous and included surveying facilities and movement of some official figures, he aid noting that investigations are underway and those involved are still being chased. Judeh, who did not disclose how many Hamas activists were arrested last week, said one of the detainees had led security officials to a hideout near the border with Syria in northern Jordan where large quantities of weapons and rocket launchers were found. During his recent visit to Amman, Palestinian President Mahamoud Abbas listened to a detailed account on the seized weapons and the failed operation to smuggle weapons to Jordan by Hamas as well as on Hamas activities targeting Jordan's national security, Judeh said. Prime Minister Marouf Al-Bakhit asked Abbas to sent a Palestinian delegation to Jordan to see in their eyes concrete evidence on this event. Jordan said last week that rocket launchers and explosives seized from a Hamas arms cache in the kingdom had been smuggled from Syria. The General Intelligence Department has arrested some of Hamas members who made confessions that have led to revealing new hideouts of smuggled weapons, Judeh said. In reply to a question on future relations with Hamas, Judeh said "We are awaiting for the Palestinian political security delegation to look into the details of this issue." He confirmed that all that has happened will not affect the close ties between the Jordanian and Palestinian peoples and will never change Jordan's firm stand. Hamas denied accusations by Jordan that the Islamic militant group had stored weapons on its territory and said it regretted Amman's cancellation of a visit by the Palestinian foreign minister. "These accusations are false and completely contradict the well-known Hamas attitude that it does not intervene ... In the internal affairs of other countries," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said. The Jordanian government spokesman said security forces had seized rocket launchers and other weapons from a Hamas arms cache and had scrapped a visit by new Palestinian Foreign Minister and senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar. |
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