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October 20, 2006 |
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CROWN PRINCE SULTAN RECEIVES THE PRIME MINISTER OF BANGLADESH, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UAE, FORMER PREMIER MIQATI, KUWAITI OFFICIALS AND ISSUES HIS DIRECTIVES TO TREAT MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL NEEDS SOCCER TEAM AT SULTAN CITY. THE KINGDOM STRESSES AT THE IPU ITS ENDEAVOUR TO CONTINUE ITS FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. THE IRAQI PRIME MINISTER PRAISES THE EFFORTS OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES TO ACHIEVE PEACE FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE. PRINCE TURKI AL-FAISAL: WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE WAR ON TERRORISM, IRAQ, IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, PALESTINE, ISRAEL, LEBANON, ENERGY AND THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received at Al Safa palace in Makkah before sunset King Abdullah Ii Bin Al Hussein of Jordan and accompanying delegation. During the meeting, latest developments at the Arab, Islamic and international arenas, notably the Palestinian issue and situation in Iraq, were discussed and aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them were reviewed. Then the guest and his accompanying delegation had Ramadan Iftar with King Abdullah. The audience and the function were attended by Prince Abdul-Ilah Ibn Abdul Aziz ; Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence, other princes, ministers and a number of officials. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received at Al Safa palace in Makkah before sunset the family of late Prince Saad Bin Khalid Bin Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman, led by the deceased uncle Prince Bandar Bin Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman, his brother Prince Saud Bin Khalid Bin Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman and his sons Khalid, Mohammed, Bandar and Sultan who thanked the king for condoling them on the death of their beloved prince. The King thanked them for their feelings, appealing to Allah almighty to bestow mercy upon the soul of the deceased. also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques received Lebanon's Former Prime Minister Najeeb Miqati. The Monarch also received Omer Sulaiman, Minister at the Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Then the guests had Iftar with the king. The audience and the function were attended by Prince Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud; Prince Nawaf Bin Abdulaziz, Special Advisor to the King; Prince Abdul-Ilha Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz , Chief of General Intelligence; other princes and a number of senior officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz made a telephone call tonight to Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdgan. During the call, King Abdullah was assured on the health of Erdogan following the health disposition he has inflicted, wishing him prompt recovery. On his part, Erdogan thanked the king for his feelings. On the other hand Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his palace at Al Azizia district in Makkah Lebanon's Former Prime Minister Najeeb Miqati. The audience was attended by senior protocol officials at the crown prince's court. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his palace at Al Azizia district in Makkah before sunset Abdul Rahman Bin Salim Al-Atigi, Advisor to the Emir of Kuwait, who was accompanied by Abdul Aziz Bin Saud Al Babtain and a number of officials and dignitaries coming from Kuwait to perform Umrah (minor pilgrimage) in Makkah. During the audience, the Kuwaiti official conveyed to Crown Prince Sultan the greetings of the emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Alahmed Alsabah. In turn, the Crown Prince sent his greetings to the Emir of Kuwait. Crown Prince Sultan also received a group of people from Makkah who came to greet him. Then all the guests had Iftar with the Crown Prince. The audience and the function were attended by a number of princes, ulema and a number of senior officials. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General received at his palace in Al Azizia, Sheikh Mohammad Ibn Rashed Al-Maktoum, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President, Prime Minister, the Ruler of Dubai and the Defense Minister and his accompanying delegation. During the reception, they discussed the latest developments at Gulf, Arab and International arenas, the bilateral relations between the Kingdom and the UAE as well as ways of boosting cooperation in various fields. Crown Prince Sultan, then, hosted a 'Suhur' party in honor of Sheikh Mohammad Ibn Rashed Al-Maktoum and his accompanying delegation. The party was attended by Prince Bandar Ibn Fahd Ibn Khaled; Prince Khaled Ibn Fahd Ibn Khaled; Prince Saud Ibn Abdullah Al-Faisal; Prince Mohammad Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of the Eastern Province, a number of other princes and high-ranking officials. Later, Sheikh Mohammad Ibn Rashed Al-Maktoum visited the Prophet Mosque in Madinah. Earlier, He had also performed Umrah (the minor pilgrimage) in Makkah. Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammad Ibn Rashed Al-Maktoum and his accompanying delegation left this morning Madinah on conclusion of his visit to the Kingdom. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his palace at Al Azizia neighborhood in Makkah the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khalida Zia and accompanying delegation. During the audience, they discussed the overall developments at the Islamic and international arenas, particularly the Palestinian issue and the situation in Iraq in addition to aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in all fields. The audience was attended by senior protocol officials of the two sides. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, gave directives to the board that all soccer players of the Kingdom's National Special Needs Team who recently won the Learning Disability World Cup be given free access to the foundation's facilities. The Prince Sultan Charitable Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1995 in Riyadh. It consists of three main projects: Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz City for Humanitarian Services, Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Program for Medical and Educational Communication and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Center for Science and Technology. All three offer rehabilitation, medical, and social services for the elderly as well as for people with special needs. The foundation also contributes to the development of medical education in the Kingdom and has supported many national and international conferences and seminars. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received Prince Sultan Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the president of youth welfare, accompanied by members of the board of directors of the Saudi Federation for the Sports of Physically Disabled. Prince Sultan congratulated them on the success attained by the Saudi Federation for the Sports of Physically Disabled at the football match recently held in Germany. Prince Sultan urged the youth to adhere to the teachings of Islam. on his part, Prince Sultan Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz highlighted the achievements attained by the Saudi sports at the various international events, and attributed the success in this respect to the grace of Almighty Allah and to the great and generous support extended to the sports sector by the Saudi officials. Prince Sultan received a memorial present from Prince Sultan Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz. Prince Sultan Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, General President of Youth Welfare, attributed Saudi sports achievements to support by Saudi leaders. In an interview with Al Riyadhiah sports newspaper published, he cited Saudi special needs soccer national team's recent win of the world cup in Germany as an example of Saudi sports world achievements which have been realized due to the support of Saudi leadership. On the issue of privatization of Saudi sports clubs, he said it is a strategic goal that is in line with developments enjoyed by Saudi developmental sectors. Saudi Arabia soccer team for disabled athletes had stunned the world when it beat the Netherlands at penalty kicks after a 4-4 draw in the original and extra times to win the world's fourth trophy for mentally-retarded athletes. Following the game, which was held in Germany, Prince Sultan Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, President of Youth Welfare, and his deputy Prince Nawaf Ibn Faisal Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, telephoned the leader of the team in Germany, congratulating the mission on this historical achievement. Prince Sultan And Prince Nawaf also forwarded the congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, and the Saudi people. Immediately after hearing the news, Prince Sultan Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz decided to double the premium for the members of the team. On the other hand Saudi Ambassador to the US Prince Turki Al-Faisal discussed reforms in the Kingdom and the Saudi-US partnership in remarks at the World Affairs Council of Wilmington, Delaware. Prince Turki outlined a number of reforms that the Kingdom has undertaken recently. On the economic front, Saudi Arabia's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) has increased foreign investment and opened up over $650 billion in investment opportunities. It has also taken steps to diversify its economy away from oil and growing industries such as information technology, financial services and tourism. On a social level, the Kingdom has undertaken a program to modernize its educational system with an emphasis on critical thinking, math and science. And politically, Saudi Arabia has worked to expand citizen participation, including holding elections to municipal councils, he noted. "If you look at the Kingdom today, it is a country that is moving forward at great speed economically and socially, and even politically despite what some people say," Prince Turki said. Because Saudi Arabia is part of a global community, efforts to benefit Saudis also benefit those with whom the Kingdom interacts. This is especially true of the United States, with whom the Kingdom shares a longstanding, mutually beneficial relationship, the ambassador remarked. "We've gone through difficult periods and easy periods, and it will continue to be this way," Prince Turki said of the Saudi-US relationship. "But this is the nature of any relationship, whether between friends or between countries. Ultimately, we always return to seeing the real reason why we stick it out with one another: Quite simply, we work well together." The relationship is one that will continue to develop as the two countries work together to address today's many global challenges. "Saudi Arabia and the United States must cooperate with each other to redefine our relationship as world events evolve," Prince Turki said. "As Ambassador to your great country, I am privileged to contribute to developing this relationship." During his visit to Wilmington, Prince Turki was also presented with a key to the city by Director of the Office of Economic Development Joseph DiPinto. Following is the transcript of Prince Turki Al-Faisal's speech:- Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Fenton, thank you for the kind introduction. And thank you for welcoming me to your fine city. Since becoming Ambassador a little over a year ago, I have travelled widely throughout the US. In fact, I have visited almost 20 states, but this is the first time I will have come to Delaware. In keeping with your state's heritage, I understand, Delaware should have been the "first state" I visited. But I am glad to finally be here. This morning, I had the privilege of visiting the Tower Hill School, where I spoke with students about the Middle East. As I'm sure you know, these are very bright, very capable young adults. We should all be encouraged by the fact that they will be among the leaders of tomorrow. I first came to the United States when I was 14 years old. I came to attend a high school very similar to the Tower Hill School. After that, I attended college at Georgetown. This has provided me with a great deal of exposure to the US and the American way of life. And this is not unique to me. Over the years, literally hundreds of thousands of Saudis have travelled to the United States seeking education or healthcare, to conduct business, or simply to visit. The friendships and partnerships that have formed since well before our governments had official relations are lasting, because at the bottom of it Saudis and Americans are very similar to each other. We're plainspoken and straightforward, and we both believe in the importance of faith and family. We want the same things for us and for our children that you do: security, opportunity, good health and education, and a bright future. Today, Saudi Arabia and the US are doing a lot to maintain relations between our governments and our people. Certainly, we've gone through ups and downs. We've gone through difficult periods and easy periods, and it will continue to be this way. But this is the nature of any relationship, whether between friends or between countries. Ultimately, we always return to seeing the real reason why we stick it out with one another: Quite simply, we work well together. So for more than 60 years we've had a mutually beneficial relationship, and I can proudly say that it is a relationship not just of oil for security but, more broadly speaking, a relationship of people to people. If you look at the Kingdom today, it is a country that is moving forward at great speed economically and socially, and even politically despite what some people say. We have over $650 billion worth of investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia over the next 15 years, and American business should take advantage of that. In December we officially joined the World Trade Organization. This is providing us with great opportunities to increase foreign investment and to diversify our economy so it will not rely so much on oil. We are focusing on growing our industries, such as information technology, financial services, and tourism, industries with which you are all familiar. We are also creating centers of commerce and business, like the King Abdullah Economic City. This $26 billion mega-project will be a next generation center of finance, healthcare, and technological development. It will be like a Wilmington, Delaware on the Red Sea, if you will. And similar to Delaware, we can also boast that we are home to "tax-free shopping." Of course, this is because the Kingdom as a whole is tax free. I invite all of you to come and visit. Recently, Saudi Arabia passed new laws that ease obtaining a visa for businesspeople. So please, if you can, come see for yourselves our growth and opportunities. And while economic reform is a key driver in our society, we are also pursuing an agenda of social and political reform. We are providing our citizens with the training to succeed in the global economy. We have undertaken a multi-year modernization program of our education system, including teacher training and new textbooks and curricula. Through a scholarship program, we are sending our students to be educated around the globe. Many of our students will be coming to the United States. More than 10,000 are already studying here. They will not only be receiving a world-class education; they will be forming the next generation of friendships and bonds between Saudis and Americans. They will be the true ambassadors. Saudi Arabia has also undertaken a strategic multi-year program to improve the level of education in the Kingdom to be competitive internationally, and this program is emphasizing critical thinking and math and science, which are important to success in the global economy. Our municipal councils have now all been officially formed and have begun to meet. Members of these councils were elected to office last year. This is an important step as the Saudi people learn how the electoral process works, and we will continue to expand citizen participation. These developments, which are only a few of many, are not just for the Saudi people. We live in a global community, so if we are to benefit ourselves, we are benefiting those in the world with whom we interact. And in particular, we interact a great deal with the US. If you look at the problems we're facing today the war on terrorism, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, energy, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction none of these problems can be faced alone. We must work together to find solutions to these challenges. Saudi Arabia and the United States must cooperate with each other to redefine our relationship as world events evolve. As Ambassador to your great country, I am privileged to contribute to developing this relationship. Now, if I can help contribute a bit more to your own understanding, I would be glad to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you very much. In the occupied territories and upon instructions from Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Interior Minister and Chairman of the Saudi Relief Committee for the Palestinian people, 50 thousand baskets are being distributed to needy families. Meantime the Prince Salman Center for Heart Disease at King Fahd Medical City has celebrated its first anniversary. In the year more than 200 open heart surgeries were performed and more than 2000 patients were treated. In Geneva Dr. Sadaqa Bin Yahya Fadhel, member of the Shoura council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said that the kingdom was and has been among the world's staunchest fighters of terrorism and among the most successful in fighting the phenomenon, reiterating the kingdom's call for forging an international definition for terrorism that differentiates between terrorism and national resistance. In a speech before the International Security and Peace Committee of the International Parliamentary Union in Geneva, Fadhel said the kingdom was never hesitant in cooperating with the world community in the fight against terrorism considering that way as the only way to eradicate the phenomenon. He recalled that the kingdom was amongst the most who suffered from terrorism triggering it to become among the first signatories of the anti-terrorism Arab pact issued by the Arab League in 1983. He said such national efforts to fight the phenomenon will never wipe it out, unless concerted by an international endeavour to address the roots of the problem, noting that colonization, grievance and oppression policies and deprivation of rights are among the causes of the problem. He called for recognition of national resistance of occupation and recognition of inalienable rights of peoples in fair living . He said the first step to fight terrorism is to resist colonization, grievance and suppression and to restore national rights. He called for considering the national resistance a legitimate right according to Sharia law. He highlighted the efforts of the Saudi government in the fight against terrorism, citing the hosting of an international conference in Riyadh and the call for establishing an international centre for the fight on terrorism to be based in the Saudi capital. Also highlighted by Dr. Fadhel was the role of the Shoura Council in fighting terrorism through enacting laws and regulations, calling for bigger role of parliaments in the fight against the phenomenon. On the other hand the Makkah-based Muslim World League intends to hold an international forum for dialogue in a yet-unannounced European country. "We are seriously thinking of organizing such a forum to discuss pressing issues that affect relations between Muslims and others," MWL Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Turki said. He emphasized the League's efforts to promote dialogue between Islam and other cultures. "The MWL has been playing a big role in promoting dialogue with other cultures by holding seminars and conferences," he added. An MWL delegation previously visited the United States, Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and other European countries and met with political leaders, intellectuals and academics in order to remove their misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. "Most of the people we met were ignorant about Islam and believed what the media said about Islam and Muslims. They have been thinking that Muslims are an extremist group who does not want to live peacefully with others. We have to make a lot of efforts to remove these misconceptions," said Al-Turki, former minister of Islamic Affairs. Al-Turki said Muslim missions and cultural attaches in non-Muslim countries should play a major role in promoting dialogue and removing the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. "There is flagrant negligence in this area," he pointed out. Meanwhile, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth has appealed to Muslim scholars, the intelligentsia and the media to take the initiative for organizing an international conference on the growing phenomenon of hatred against Islam. In a statement released in Riyadh, WAMY Secretary-General Saleh Al-Wohaibi said the need for such a conference has become urgent in view of the onslaught on Islam. Referring to the proposed international conference, the secretary-general said they should also discuss the stand of the Western countries regarding Islamic Dawah (propagation) and charitable organizations, because the Muslim community as a whole "is targeted by their unjust policies." The WAMY chief also announced that the incidence of crime and other social evils among the Muslim youth will be the theme of a three-day international conference being organized by the organization in Cairo on Nov. 21-23. As many as 700 delegates from all over the world will participate in the conference, "Building the future of the youth", which will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Tantawi, the grand mufti of Al-Azhar University, and Saleh Al-Shaikh, Saudi Arabia's minister Islamic affairs. On another scale the Saudi Electricity company has signed a contract with a national company to expand station 2 for electricity power generation in Tabuk with a total cost of SR 427 million. In Yemen trade sources announced that negotiations are being held between Saudi and Yemeni businessmen to establish a free trade area in Al Wadi3a region. In London British Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs Margaret Beckett lauded the existing relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, saying that "there are many points of concurrence" that connect the two countries. In remarks to Arab reporters at the British Foreign Office, she stated that there are many points of agreement as well as different views as is the case with the rest of the world's countries. Beckett considered the Middle East the central issue in the region, saying that without settling it, there will be a difficulty to solve other problems. She said the return of concerned parties in the Middle East to peace negotiations table is the guarantee of solving the central issue. Beckett also expressed belief that there is a possibility to achieve peace in the Middle East once there is a will for that, calling on the world countries including Middle Eastern member states, to make peaceful coexistence a target. Moreover, she promised to pay several visits to Middle Eastern countries, pointing out that she has phoned more than ten Arab Foreign Ministers since she assumed the British Foreign office last summer, attributing her not being able to visit the region's countries to heavy schedule at home, including the Iranian nuclear file and British House of Commons engagements. Beckett briefed reporters on the efforts her government has made to defuse the Lebanese crisis, saying that she and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair have worked behind the scenes to end the war on Lebanon. We have exerted the most possible efforts to reach a permanent cease-fire agreement, Beckett said, confirming that her country did not like prolongation of the war in Lebanon. Also, she reiterated her condemnation of the North Korean nuclear test, saying that the entire world countries have condemned this experiment and pointing out that her country has reduced the number of nuclear heads. In addition, Beckett confirmed that her country will not stay in Iraq for a long time and that Britain is supporting the democratic government in Iraq so that it will undertake the responsibility of bringing about security, providing services and rehabilitating the country's infrastructure etc. Meanwhile preparations were under way for the meeting between senior Iraqi Sunni and Shiite religious scholars at the Al-Safa Palace overlooking the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The meeting is set to take place after Taraweeh prayers and is aimed at adopting a formal reconciliation document that calls for ending sectarian violence in Iraq. The "Makkah Al-Mukarramah Document" will be proclaimed during the last days of the blessed month of Ramadan with the participation of senior Muslim scholars and authorities from Iraq. A press conference will be held after the signing of the document. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which initiated this reconciliation effort, is flying Iraqi delegation members and a media team from Amman to Jeddah. Iraqi Shiite and Sunni religious leaders have been in Makkah for most of the week trying to find a way to halt sectarian violence that is threatening to escalate into an all-out civil war. Gathering under the auspices of the 57-member OIC, the summiteers will work from a 10-point text that draws on verses of the Quran and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) highlighting that "spilling Muslim blood is forbidden." The text also calls for safeguarding the two communities' holy places, defending the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq and the release of "all innocent detainees." An OIC spokesman said the summit was "not a conference or a forum or a venue for negotiations." Rather, "it is a meeting of the Marjaya (Shiite religious authorities) and Sunni ulema to anoint the document, which will be distributed to Iraqis and publicized in the media. "This initiative aims to quell religious conflict and does not profess to reconcile the protagonists," he added. The delegates are expected to include the heads of Iraq's two religious endowment organizations and a number of leading religious leaders from both sides. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki praised the efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to stop the bloodshed in Iraq. He said he hoped the talks would boost his Shiite-led government's national reconciliation efforts. "We pin hopes on every step made by people who care for the interest of Iraq and condemn the terror acts in Iraq," he said. |
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