July 28, 2006

EMANATING FROM THE BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, CROWN PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ PAYS A VISIT TO FRANCE AND HOLDS TALKS WITH PRESIDENT CHIRAC AND THE FRENCH LEADERSHIP ON THE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. PRINCE SULTAN: THE KINGDOM SUPPORTS THE DEPLOYMENT OF INTERNATIONAL FORCES ALONG THE BORDERS BETWEEN LEBANON AND ISRAEL. PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL AFTER HIS MEETING WITH THE FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER STRESSES THAT SAUDI-FRENCH VIEWS ARE IDENTICAL. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, has held two rounds of talks with French President Jacques Chirac during the Crown Prince's visit to France. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, left Jeddah heading for Paris on an official visit to France in response to a special invitation from French President Jacques Chirac. At King Abdul Aziz International Airport, he was seen off by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, other princes and officials. The Crown Prince's accompanying delegation includes Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister, other princes, ministers and officials. A statement issued by the Royal court said: Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General will pay an official visit to France on July 19-22 at the invitation of France's President Jacques Chirac. The statement said that the visit comes in pursuance of the way of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz to contact world leaders for the interest and service of the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the issues of Arab and Muslim nations, noting that it also emanates from the bonds of friendship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Republic of France and comes upon a special invitation from the French President. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, arrived in Paris on an official visit to France in response to a special invitation from French President Jacques Chirac. The Crown Prince was received by French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin at Orly airport. Crown Prince Sultan was also received by Prince Bandar Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, other princes and officials. French President Jacques Chirac received Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, and the accompanying delegation. During the meeting, discussions focused on the latest international developments especially the situation in Lebanon and the Israeli aggression against the Lebanese people in addition to the situation in the occupied Palestinian Arab lands and Iraq. Bilateral relations were also discussed. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, also visited the French Parliament Speaker Jean-Louis Debre. After a brief meeting, the Crown Prince graced the dinner held by the speaker in honour of the Crown Prince. The dinner was attended by the Crown Prince's accompanying delegation and French officials. French President Jacques Chirac has highlighted the significance of the visit of Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defence and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, to France, and said it will positively contribute to further enhancing Saudi-French relations. In a statement to Jeddah-based al-Madina newspaper, Chirac said the Saudi-French talks will cover all issues of mutual interest. 'The Kingdom has been playing an important role in the region, and has been adopting a moderate policy', he said. Chirac described the Saudi-French relations as strong. Meanwhile, in a message published today by al-Riyad newspaper, Chirac expressed appreciation for the warm welcome given to him in the Kingdom during his visit to the country last March in response to an invitation from the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz. He noted that the visit of Prince Sultan to France constitutes a new stage for implementing the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and France. The French President said the visit by the Saudi crown prince would positively contribute to further enhancing Saudi-French relations. Chirac said in a message to the Saudi people published in Arabic newspapers that France and Saudi Arabia have "close" positions on the current crisis in the Middle East. The visit "comes at a time when the region is going through renewed tension, necessitating consultation between our two countries, whose positions are very close," Chirac said. "The Kingdom has been playing an important role in the region, and has been following a moderate policy." Another report said the Kingdom and France would seek to formulate a joint position to end the bloodshed in Lebanon, possibly by backing a multinational force. The two countries have also been courting each other for stronger business ties. "We hope to reinforce our cooperation in all areas at a moment when the Kingdom is engaged in a process of economic and social reforms," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said. French Ambassador Charles-Henri d'Aragon said last week that Saudi Arabia's accession to the World Trade Organization and liberalization of its trade policies had paved the way for new opportunities for foreign investors. France has also indicated an interest in security-related contracts, such as training security forces, and other bilateral arrangements. Chirac visited the Kingdom with a high-level delegation of ministers and top business executives in March. Chirac expressed appreciation for the warm welcome given to him in March by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defence and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, held his second meeting with French President Jacques Chirac. They discussed the latest developments at the international arena, notably the situation in Lebanon, and the ongoing international efforts to end the Israeli aggression against the Lebanese people, in addition to aspects of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France in all domains. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of State and member of the Cabinet Dr. Musa'ed Ibn Mohammed Al-Eban, and Minister of Economy and Planning Khalid Ibn Mohammed Al-Qusaibi. On the French side, the meeting was attended by Minister of defence Michele Alliot-Marie, Chirac's Political Advisor Laurent Bili and Marie's Diplomatic Advisor. At the end of the meeting, Crown Prince Sultan and President Chirac exchanged memorial presents. Later the French President hosted a luncheon in honour of Crown Prince Sultan. The luncheon was attended by the accompanying delegation of Crown Prince Sultan, a number of Princes and Saudi Ambassador to France Dr. Mohammed Ibn Ismael Al Al-Sheikh. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, described his talks with French President Jacques Chirac as talks between two friends. In a press statement following his second meeting with the French President, he said the kingdom led by Custodian Of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is following with great concern the Israeli attacks against Lebanon and the Palestinian territories which aim at the deliberate destruction of the infrastructure, violation of human rights, targeting of innocent civilians, assassination, detention, torture and blowing shelters of children and women. The Crown Prince commended the French President's position and said, "We support President Chirac's wise policy toward resolving this issue." The Crown Prince stressed that the views of the kingdom and France on stopping the Israeli aggression are identical. Crown Prince Sultan said that the kingdom supports deployment of international forces along the borders between Lebanon and Israel as an ideal solution of this issue. On French newspapers' reports about agreements between the kingdom and France, he said, "these are continuing commercial issues and we thank the newspapers. We hope they will support right, justice and truth." On the kingdom's assistance to some countries, he said, "the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has ordered provision of a lot of aid such as medical treatment, medicines and other help. The kingdom will continue provision of assistance on time." Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defence and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, held a meeting with French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. They reviewed issues pertaining to the Israeli aggression against Lebanon as well as the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, and the ongoing efforts to bring about peace and security in the Middle East. They also reviewed bilateral relations. Speaking on the occasion, de Villepin highlighted the existing Saudi-French relations, and said they are characterized with credibility and realism. He noted that Saudi Arabia and France have been working to bring about peace and security in the Middle East and the rest of the world. On His Part, Crown Prince Sultan lauded the positive and wise role of France towards all problems in the Middle East region. He underlined the importance of the historical meeting between Late King Faisal and Late French President Charles de Gaulle in June 2, 1967, and said that historical meeting had constituted a base for the development of the Saudi-French relations. 'The identical views of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and French President Jacques Chirac as regards the developments of the situation in the region have provided a clear evidence for the keenness of the two countries on bringing about a just and comprehensive peace', he said. Prince Sultan said the Kingdom has been effectively and sincerely working to enhance the pillars of global security and stability. He added that the efforts of the Kingdom in this respect were culminated by the peace initiative announced by the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, and approved by the Arab Summit held in Beirut in 2002. Prince Sultan made it clear that the Kingdom believes in the importance of dialogue and negotiations for the settlement of disputes which threaten the security of the region and the world too. He noted that the policy of intransigence and military confrontation will only lead to more destruction, antagonism and extremism. Prince Sultan said the painful violence in the region was a result of the policy of intransigence and resort to force. 'We do condemn the operations of destruction and mass killing, and destruction of the infrastructure projects as the result of the Israeli aggressions against Palestine and Lebanon', he said noting that operations run counter to the international norms and conventions. He urged the international community to take the appropriate measures for ending the vicious aggression, and to work for the preservation of the global security and stability. Prince Sultan underlined the importance of intensifying efforts to ensure the safety and unity of the Iraqi territories. 'The keenness of the Saudi and French leaderships on further enhancing bilateral relations is stemmed from the common feeling of the significant role that could be played by the two countries at the international arena, and existence of opportunities of cooperation', he elaborated. Prince Sultan said the visit of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to France last year and the visit of Chirac to the Kingdom four months ago would have an effective role in enhancing the strategic partnership between the two countries. He underscored the importance of coordination between the two countries at the popular and official levels. The function was attended by Prince Sultan's accompanying delegation, a number of princes and senior French officials. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, met at his guest residence with French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie. During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in the Middle East as a result of Israel's escalating aggression against Lebanon; the situations in the Palestinian territories; the deterioration of security situations in Iraq and the stands of the two countries towards them; international efforts to stop the Israeli aggression against Lebanon; and the call of the two countries for deployment of international troops on Lebanese-Israeli border. They also reviewed bilateral relations and ways of their enhancement in all fields. Then the Crown Prince and French defence minister exchanged memorial gifts. The meeting was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister; Prince General Miteb Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs; Dr. Musaed Ibn Mohammed Al-Eiban, Minister of State and Cabinet's Member; Khalid Ibn Mohammed Al-Qusaibi, Minister of Economy and Planning; Mohammed Ibn Salim Al-Mari, Special Secretary to the Crown Prince; and Saudi Ambassador to France Dr. Mohammed Ibn Ismael Al Al-Sheikh. On the French side, it was attended by France's Ambassador to the Kingdom Charles d'Aragon and a number of officials. Prince Saud al-Faisal, the foreign minister, held a meeting with his French counterpart Philippe Douste-Blazy. Addressing a press conference following the meeting Douste-Blazy highlighted he existing friendly relations between the Kingdom and France. He saluted the Kingdom's policy in the fields of economic and social reforms. The French foreign minister said his talks with Prince Saud had covered the developments of the situation in the Middle East, and added that 'our analysis were similar'. He expressed anxiety over continuation of violence between Israel and Lebanon, and said France supports the ongoing efforts within the framework of the UN to determine conditions of ceasefire. He reiterated the keenness of his country on implementing the resolution 1559 as well as on ensuring the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon. 'We do condemn shelling the locations of the Lebanese army, and France believes in the importance of deployment of the Lebanese army in all Lebanese territories', he said. The minister confirmed that France supports the Lebanese Prime Minister, and believes in the importance of the preservation of the infrastructure installations and institutions. He urged Israel to avoid targeting the civilians and the infrastructure installations in Lebanon as well as the UN's troops in South Lebanon. On his part, Prince Saud said views of the two countries were about to be identical on issues that concern the Middle East region. He pointed out that the existing instability in the Middle East region was caused by failure to settle the Arab-Israeli dispute. He slammed the Israeli arrogant policy towards its neighbouring Arab countries. Prince Saud underlined the importance of enabling the Lebanese government to spread its influence throughout Lebanese territories, and said 'we should extend economic and political support to Lebanon in all spheres'. 'We are friends of Lebanon, and we cooperate with it', he said. Prince Saud said contacts were underway with the Lebanese government by the Arab countries and the Arab League. 'In line with the directives of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques and Crown Prince we have come here to discuss this issue with France, which currently chairs the security council. He noted that the Kingdom will dispatch delegates to the permanent members of the Security Council for the same purpose, and added 'there are tireless efforts to settle the problem and to end the tragedy of Lebanon'. On the other hand The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) and Litwin Europe Middle East BV of the Netherlands signed a contract for the construction of three phosphoric acid plants with a total cost of approximately SR1.2 billion. Abdallah E. Dabbagh, president and chief executive officer of Maaden, and Max Abitbol, president and chief executive officer of Litwin, signed the contract jointly. Top executives of both companies witnessed the signing ceremony held in Maaden's project offices in Alkhobar. Dabbagh explained that the phosphoric acid plants would be constructed at Ras Az Zawr minerals industrial city for the Maaden phosphate project within a period of 34 months. The combined phosphoric acid plants will produce 4,380 tons per day of phosphate, making it the largest facility of its kind in the world. Dabbagh added that the phosphoric acid plants will be designed to enable it to increase to 4,800 tons per day of phosphate, allowing further increase in fertilizer production from the Ras Az Zawr fertilizer complex. First production is scheduled in the first quarter of 2010. The Ras Az Zawr mineral industrial complex is a SR30 billion investment that will include the phosphate project and the aluminum project with an alumina refinery, a smelter, a power plant and a port on the Arabian Gulf. The construction of the phosphoric plants will help the Maaden phosphate project to accelerate its progress in advancing Maaden's vision of becoming a dominant force in the world phosphate fertilizer market and a major part of the diversified economy of the Kingdom, leading to create new job opportunities for young Saudi adults. Litwin is the third foreign company to sign up with Maaden. In April 2006, Maaden awarded a SR900 million contract to Outokumpu to construct three sulphuric acid plants in Ras Az Zawr. Dragados was also awarded a contract in July 11 to construct the ammonium phosphate granulation plants worth SR900 million. The project management consultancy contract was awarded to Worley Parsons in February 2006 with a value of SR133 million.