February 2, 2007

BILATERAL RELATIONS AND ISLAMIC AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AT THE CORE OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES AND PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF TALKS. PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF REVIEWS THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WITH A NUMBER OF ARAB LEADERS. PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ RECEIVES THE HEAD OF THE YEMENI SIDE AT THE JOINT SAUDI-YEMENI COORDINATION COUNCIL AND RECEIVES PRESIDENT SALEH GOOD WISHES. THE JOINT SAUDI-YEMENI COORDINATION COUNCIL REVIEWS IMPORTANT ISSUES IN ORDER TO PRESENT THEM TO THE SUPREME COUNCIL. MOHAMED AL-HADITHI HEAD OF THE SAUDI SIDE EXPRESSES HIS HOPES TO REALIZE ALL THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE LEADERSHIPS OF BOTH COUNTRIES. THE DEVELOPMENTS OF JOINT JORDANIAN-YEMENI RELATIONS. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz held talks at his palace with Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf. At the outset of the talks, the king decorated the Pakistani President with King Abdul Aziz decoration which is customarily awarded to leaders of brotherly and friendly countries. The Pakistani President expressed his appreciation of and thanks to the king for conferring the necklace on him and for warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded to him and the accompanying delegation. Then they discussed overall situations and latest developments at the Islamic and international arenas particularly the development of the Palestinian issue and the situation in Iraq. Aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of their enhancement in various fields were also reviewed. On the Saudi side, the talks were attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, deputy minister of defense and aviation and inspector general; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, the minister of municipal and rural affairs; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister; Prince Abdul Ilah Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, vice governor of Riyadh region; Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, chief of general intelligence and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Ali Bin Awadh Assiri. On the Pakistani side, the talks were attended by the delegation accompanying the president. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz held at his palace a luncheon in honour of Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and the accompanying delegation. The banquet was attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; a number of princes; ministers and senior officials. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf arrived in Madinah. He will perform Umrah (Minor Hajj) and visit the Prophet's mosque. He was welcomed at Prince Mohammed Ibn Abdul Aziz airport by Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed Ibn Abdul Aziz, the governor of Madinah region, and a number of senior officials. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf visited the Prophet's mosque within the framework of his current visit to the kingdom to perform Umrah (Minor Hajj) rituals. Upon arrival at the mosque, the president was received by a number of officials. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and the accompanying delegation performed Umrah (minor hajj). He was welcomed at the holy mosque by high-ranking officials. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and the accompanying delegation arrived in Riyadh coming from Jeddah. At Riyadh airbase airport, they were received by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz; Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, deputy premier, minister of defense and aviation and inspector general; Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, deputy minister of defense and aviation and inspector general; a number of princes; ministers and senior officials. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and the accompanying delegation the Kingdom. Upon departure form the king's palace, they were seen off by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz; Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, deputy premier, minister of defense and aviation and inspector general; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister; and Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, chief of general intelligence. Upon departure from Riyadh airbase airport, they were seen off by Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, vice governor of Riyadh region and number of officials. In Egypt the Egyptian-Pakistani summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh confirmed the agreement by President Mubarak and Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf on the need for launching diplomatic dialogue as a means for solving Islamic countries issues and non-resorting to military solutions. The Pakistani President has called for launching a new initiative that centers on the Palestinian cause and combating terror and extremism. President Mubarak and Musharraf held a tête-à-tête session of talks in Sharm El-Sheikh for 90 minutes followed by an expanded session attended by the two countries delegations. Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Kasuri held a press conference in which they stressed identity of views by both countries on all issues of common concern to the Islamic world. They said the two countries should exert common efforts with Muslim countries for changing the current position and developing relations among them. Abul-Gheit said the two leaders discussed means through which the two countries can help in cooperation with other Islamic countries, change the current situation and develop relations among them. The Palestinian issue figured high on the summit talks that lasted more than an hour and a half, Abul Gheit said. Talks also covered the situation in Iraq and deepening bilateral cooperation, he added. Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said talks between Mubarak and Musharraf were fruitful and good. President Musharraf's visit to Egypt comes as part of Pakistan's concern over what is going on in the Islamic and Arab world, Kasuri said. What is happening in Palestine and Iraq affects Pakistan and the rest of the Islamic countries, especially as there are many Arab elements hiding in places along the Pakistani-Afghan borders, he added. Pakistan paid dearly for these elements' presence along its borders and unfortunately it is still paying, he said. Kasuri said Pakistan can no longer remain a spectator, adding that Musharraf talked to many leaders of western countries and at the same time got contacts from Islamic leaders in this regard. Kasuri said President Musharraf's current tour started with a visit to Saudi Arabia where he met King Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Aziz and agreed on the need for a new initiative that would focus on the Palestinian issue but would also include terror and extremism combat. He said Pakistan has a wide experience in fighting terrorism and it believes that a military solution is not easy and that a political and diplomatic one is much needed. He said Pakistan did not set up full diplomatic relations with Israel and his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni should not be blown out of all proportions. If Pakistan wanted full relations with Israel it would not hide it, but public opinion in Pakistan is affected by what is happening in Pakistan, Kasuri said. Having full relations with Israel depended on setting up an independent Palestinian state with internationally-recognized borders, he said. Whether Mubarak and Musharraf tackled nuclear cooperation during their summit, Kasuri said this issue was not on the agenda but the nuclear file was raised. Whether he was upbeat about Kasuri's new initiative on the Palestinian issue, Abul Gheit said Egypt backs such initiatives and the Arab countries have launched an initiative at Beirut summit calling for Israeli pullout and establishment of a Palestinian state in return for normal relations between Israel and the Arab world. Kasuri, on his part, said there is an agreement in viewpoints among the leaders of the Islamic countries on this initiative, but he declined to go into details. Unless other sides from the world are engaged in the new initiative, its goals will not be achieved, he added. On the Iranian nuclear file, Abul-Gheit said Mubarak- Musharraf talks tackled this issue and they both underlined the importance of containing the crisis between Iran and the West to defuse any tension. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Egypt is a key partner to Pakistan adding that his country was keen to enhance bilateral cooperation with Egypt in various domains especially in economy, trade exchange and investment. Musharraf said in an interview with "AI-Ahram" Editor-in-Chief that the higher ministerial committee between the two countries has contributed to developing cultural and commercial relations. He referred to Egyptian investments in Pakistan in the fields of telecommunications saying they amounted to $ Two billion by the end of last year. President Musharraf expressed his appreciation of President Mubarak adding he was keen to listen to President Mubarak's views on regional and international issues. He said the main goal of his current Middle East tour is to launch a joint initiative with Egypt and other countries in the region for calming down the situation in the region and preventing it from slipping into wars and conflicts. On the existence of Al-Qaeda and Taleban on Pakistani territories, he denied the existence of any elements belonging to the two organizations adding the root culture and thought of Taleban are there in Afghanistan saying claims that Ossama Bin Laden and Mullah Omar were living on Pakistani territories are ludicrous. He said his country was exerting efforts for combating terrorism adding that Pakistan has lost victims in its war against terrorism double the number of victims suffered by the Afghan army and the coalition countries altogether. President Musharraf said the military action is not enough for confronting this terrorist phenomenon, stressing the need for an all out strategy to address the feeling of deprivation and estrangement in the Islamic world. The Pakistani President said his country is a responsible nuclear state which rejects armament race in the region. He called on Iran to take confidence building measures with the international community regarding its nuclear programme. He said Pakistan's relations with the United States are excellent and strong in spite of vagaries they face from time to time. He said Washington is aware of Pakistan's security needs adding that his country was supportive of the right of the Palestinian President to self-determination. He also said Pakistan supports peaceful co-existence between Israel and an independent Palestinian state. Concluding, he said he is deeply concerned over inter- Palestinian fighting. In Amman, King Abdullah II and President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf held discussions on the bilateral ties and the situation in the Middle East. The two leaders affirmed their countries' support to the establishment of the independent Palestinian state based on the two-state solution which was adopted by the Arab leaders in Beirut Summit. They also urged the Islamic countries to play a key role to rally the support for this initiative. King Abdullah II briefed the President on the results of Jordan's contacts with the concerning parties within the exerted efforts to restore the peace process and on the talks with the US Secretary of State during her last tour to the region which formed an important step towards taking more steps in this regard. The visit of Musharraf to Amman aims at exchanging consultation with King Abdullah II on the an Islamic initiative that Musharraf seeks to discuss with the Arab and Islamic countries to solve the issues that are facing the Islamic world, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue, in addition to the situation in Iraq, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. Earlier, Musharraf has arrived in Amman coming from Egypt within a regional tour which he started in Saudi Arabia. He will head for Damascus today, afterward to the UAE where he will conclude his tour. In a press statement after the meeting with King Abdullah II, the two sides affirmed the common viewpoints towards the issues in the Middle East and the Islamic World. King Abdullah II said that his talks with the Pakistani President focused on the best ways to enhance the political and economic coordination in line with what the king had discussed during his visit to Islamabad last August and in his meetings later in September in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. King Abdullah II added that talks touched on the preparations for the next G -11 Summit on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Jordan in May 2007 and the efforts to engage the G8 members to assist the G-11 in achieving its goals. The King invited President Musharraf to take part in this Summit. It's noteworthy to say that the G-11 includes in its membership, Jordan, Honduras, Georgia, Indonesia, Morocco, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, Salvador, Croatia, and Pakistan. The King said "I hope that we will be able to officially launch the Jordan-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue later this spring. This will provide the proper framework for enhancing our bilateral ties and widening the scope of cooperation." "We discussed our shared concern about regional and global security issues, especially those confronting the Muslim world. We see eye to eye on all these issues. Pakistan's commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict reflects your belief in a just and legitimate solution to this crisis. President Musharraf shares our sense of urgency that another opportunity not be missed to reach a lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict," King Abdullah II added. He also pointed out that the talks covered issues of Iraq and the commitment of both sides to help Iraq save its unity and stability, issues of stability and security in Lebanon and Afghanistan, in addition to the necessity of finding a diplomatic solution to the tensions over Iran's nuclear capabilities. For his part, Musharraf affirmed that his visit to Amman aims at exchanging consultations with King Abdullah II regarding the situation of facing the Muslim Ummah, particularly in the context of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and its implications for all parties. He said that the Palestinian issue remains central to peace and security in the region and beyond, expressing his deep concern about the increasing cycle of violence in Iraq and the troubles in the shape of fighting terrorism and extremism. The discussions were attended by Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, Director of King's Office Bassem Awadallah, Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah Al Khatib and Director of the General Intelligence Department Muhammad Al Thahabi. On the Pakistani side, Foreign Minister Khourshid Qasouri, Minister of information Muhammad Dourani and Pakistani Ambassador to Amman Aref Kamal attended the discussions. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad agreed to coordinate efforts to combat terrorism, the state news agency SANA reported. The two leaders held talks in Damascus and "reviewed efforts of the two countries in the struggle against terrorism and agreed to pursue consultations and coordination", it said. They called for a "just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East" and underlined "the importance of restoring calm in Iraq and of the territorial integrity of the country". On the other hand Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received the Undersecretary of Yemeni Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Hisham Sharaf Abdullah who is also Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Yemeni side in the Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council. The Yemeni official conveyed to Crown Prince Sultan the greetings of Yamani President Ali Abdullah Saleh. In turn, Crown Prince Sultan sent his greetings to the President. During the audience, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed issues of common interest. The audience was attended by a number of officials. Meanwhile, the Preparatory Committee of joint Yemeni Saudi Coordination Council concluded its meetings at the Conference Palace in Riyadh. The Saudi side was headed by Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al-Hadithi in charge of the Special Committee at the Council of Ministers, and the Yemeni side was chaired by the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Chairman of the Yemeni side at the Preparatory Committee of the Saudi Yemeni Coordination Eng Hisham Sharaf Abdullah. In his speech at the closing session the Head of the Saudi side expressed his thanks and appreciation to all their hard work and outstanding performance during the meetings that expressed the spirit of fraternity between the two sides under the guidance of the leaders of the Saudi and Yemeni Coordination Council Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Yemen Mr. Abdul Qader Ba Jammal. From his side the head of the Yemeni side considered the relations between Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen as an example to be followed. He stressed that the Preparatory Committee for Joint Saudi Yemeni Coordination Council succeeded in performing its work and completed tasks. At the close of the meeting, the chairmen of both Saudi and Yemeni sides signed the minutes of the meeting of the Preparatory Committee. The Preparatory Committee of the Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council held its meeting at the Conference Palace in Riyadh under the chairmanship of Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al-Hadithi and Eng Hisham Sharaf Abdullah. In his speech Mohammad Al-Hadithi welcomed the Yemeni delegation. He explained that the meeting will study issues of priority that will be submitted to the Supreme Saudi Yemeni Coordination Council that will hold its meeting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He stressed that coordination between the two countries serves relations between the them and the two fraternal peoples in all fields and at all levels and meets the aspirations of the political leaderships. The Minister said that the successes achieved by the Saudi-Yemeni coordination at various levels had a positive impact and realizes the aspirations of the political leadership. The head of the Saudi side in the 18 the meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council expressed hope in achieving the aspirations of the leaderships of the two brotherly countries under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, as well as the implementation of the directives of Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, and Chairman of the Saudi side in the Coordination Council and Yemen's Prime Minister Yemeni Abdel Qader Bajammal for the good and service of the two countries and the two fraternal peoples. In his remarks the Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, head of the Yemeni side, Hisham Sharaf noted that the committee would discuss cooperation aspects between the two countries and the implementation of the signed agreements as well as to find out solutions for any difficulties if found. Hisham Sharaf also pointed out that the meeting would come across the Saudi generous support pledged in the Donors Conference, held in London last November, to support the third five plan for development and poverty reduction. He added that the preparatory committee would also discuss related issues to hold the YSCC's meeting next summer. Hisham Sharaf, Yemen's Undersecretary of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, who is also leader of Yemen's side in the Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council, and his accompanying delegation left the Kingdom, ending an official visit to the kingdom. He was seen off at King Khalid International Airport by senior officials and Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Ali Bin Mohammed Al-Hamdan. The head of Yemeni side at joint preparatory committee of Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council and Under Secretary of Yemen's Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation Eng. Hisham Sharaf Abdullah and his accompanying delegation arrived. At King Khaled International Airport, they were received by Mohammed Bin Ibrahim Al-Hudaithi, the official in charge of the special committee at the cabinet and head of the Saudi side at the committee and a number of officials. In a statement on this occasion, Hisham Sharaf lauded the special care and attention paid to the council by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General and the head of the Saudi side at the council and Yemen's Premier and head of Yemeni side at the council Abdul Qader Ba Jamal. Meanwhile the Governor of Aden Ahmad Al Kahlani met with consul general of Saudi Arabia in Aden Mansoor Bin A'ta Al Mazmoomi. During the meeting, aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the economic, trade and investment fields were discussed. In Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh received the Jordanian prime minister, head of the Jordanian side in the Yemeni-Jordanian Joint Committee Marouf al-Bakhit, and other Jordanian members participating in the meetings of the 12th session of the Yemeni-Jordanian Committee, being held in Sana'a. The two sides discussed ways of promoting bilateral cooperation in all fields and the latest development in the region on top of them the situations in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon and Somalia . They also discussed on the results of the 12th session of the Yemeni-Jordanian Joint Committee. The meetings resulted in 23 agreements including agriculture, consultations exchange, trade, high education, health and marine transportation. The Yemeni president emphasized on the importance of finding out executive mechanisms to achieve the agreements practically through a specific action plan in which the two countries can get benefits. On his part, the Jordanian prime minister praised the level of bilateral relations and the results of the committee. The Yemeni-Jordanian Higher Committee meetings wrapped up on Tuesday to come up with signing 23 cooperation documents between the two countries. The committee, co-chaired by both countries' foreign ministers, signed agreements on agriculture, education, higher education, insurance, culture, tourism, labor, investment, plant health, legal affairs, developing exports, protecting civil life, civil guards, health, energy, social insurance, antiques, environment, the executive means of the cooperative protocol in fields of free zones and the internal bylaw of the Yemeni-Jordanian Joint Businessmen Council and other fields. Meetings of the 12th round of the Yemeni-Jordanian Higher Committee kicked off in Sana'a co-chaired by the Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Qadir BaJamal and the Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit. The committee discussed a number of relevant issues to reinforcing the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the domains of politics, economics, trade, investment, culture, education, health, tourism and others. The two day meetings studied the latest developments in the Arab region, particularly in Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Lebanon and Sudan, and the effect of these critical situations on the Arab development, security and stability. The two sides affirmed the keenness to develop and broaden the fraternal bonds in all fields, emphasizing the importance of activating the Arab joint work through the Arab League to play its vital role in finding out solutions for the cases and challenges that the Arab nation encounters at the present time. In the opening session, Prime Minister Ba Jamal expressed pleasure to have this round held in Sana'a in the midst of clear atmospheres and strong ties which reflect an excellent image of the Yemeni-Jordanian links under the wise leaderships of both countries. "According to the preparatory committee documents, there are projects, understanding memos, executive programs and cooperation protocols which reach up to 23 topics in all fields. Therefore, we can say that there is a touchable success in all the topics that have been discussed by the preparatory committee." Said Ba Jamal. He added that: "There is no doubt that our task has to include the private sector, of both countries, for it plays a pioneering role in the economic and investment fields." Ba Jamal pointed out that the conflict in the Arab region impedes the progress that the Arab nation looks for, noting that Arab key officials aim at achieving a joint Arab work to give importance to the Arab League. For the Jordanian side, Prime Minister, al-Bakhit, expressed pleasure to attend the 12th round in Sana'a, talking in favour of the Yemeni-Jordanian connecting relations in the various spheres of life. He said that the real situation puts us in front of a joint responsibility, in the public and private sectors, to work hard in order to increase commercial and investment exchange between the two countries so as to reach the final draft of the agreement of free trade which would be discussed in this round. Al-Bakhit added that: "We hope to continue coordination and discussion to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organization," affirming that Jordan is ready to support Yemen to join the WTO via signing a cooperation protocol in this field. He wished that this round comes up with fruitful outcomes to find their way to implementation. "Holding this round comes in time with the Arab crisis in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia the thing that necessitates a joint work of all Arab countries to unify their stances to form a strong block so as to help in reducing such crisis and to get rid of them." said al-Bakhit. The Preparatory Committee for the 12th round of Yemeni-Jordanian Joint Committee held a meeting to sign the round's minutes, agreements, protocols and executive programs which are to be approved in the higher committee discussions. The Preparatory Committee is co-chaired by Minister of Trade and Industry Khalid Sheikh and the Jordanian counterpart Sharif al-Zuabi. Sheikh pointed out that the meetings would discuss fields of collaboration and joint economic, commercial and investment exchange between the two countries. "We hope the Preparatory Committee could contribute to reinforcing and developing the bilateral economic and commercial relations," he said. Al-Zuabi spoke over the volume of commercial exchange between Yemen and Jordan and the importance of communal work to overcome any likely problems that may face the commercial cooperation, calling the public and private sectors to push these relations towards better level that copes with the huge possibilities available with the Yemeni-Jordanian private sector, in addition to the opportunities offered in the agreement of the Great Arab Free Commercial Zone. In Riyadh Finnish Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paula Lehtomaki announced that her country is preparing to sign a reciprocal investment protection agreement with Saudi Arabia aimed at bolstering trade ties. "Details of the agreement have been finalized between the two parties and it will be signed at a special ceremony to be held in a couple of weeks," said Lehtomaki following a meeting with business leaders at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI). RCCI Chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy said that he expect a local businessmen to visit Finland in the near future. "As a result of these discussions, we would like to send a Saudi trade delegation to Finland to identify new areas of interests," he said. Lehtomaki, who was leading a 50-member delegation representing 20 Finnish companies, said the purpose of her visit was to deepen and expand the commercial ties between the two countries by meeting potential partners personally to initiate joint venture projects. "The Kingdom was the fourth largest export destination outside Europe for Finnish business. In 2006, it competed for the title of our No. 1 export destination in the Gulf region," Lehtomaki added. Finland's exports to the Kingdom in 2005 amounted to 645.49 million euros (SR3.1 billion), mostly in the form of telecommunications equipment and paper. The Kingdom's exports to Finland in the same year amounted to 11.22 million euros (SR54.5 million), mostly in the form of petrochemicals. Lehtomaki said she would like to see more Finnish business in the Kingdom in the areas of her country's technological expertise in areas such as construction, education, healthcare, infrastructure development and environmental protection technologies. The minister specifically mentioned the Knowledge Economic City currently being built in Madinah. "Through such projects we could intensify our dialogue and exchange experiences on multifarious issues both bilaterally and regionally between the Gulf countries and the European Union," Lehtomaki said. The Finnish minister held meetings with her counterpart, Hashim Yamani, as well as Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Gov. Amr Al-Dabbagh, Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie, Communications and Information Technology Minister Jameel Mulla and Assistant Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled Ibn Sultan. Also in Riyadh the director of the British railways industry union has expressed the keenness of the British companies on fruitful partnership with the Saudis for implementing gigantic projects. Speaking at a meeting hosted by the chamber of commerce and industry of Riyadh, he said the British companies have a rich experience and high efficiency in the field of railways. He noted that the British railways union includes 140 companies. On his part, Abdul Rahman Al-Tuweijiri, Member of the board of directors of the chamber, highlighted the existing strong Saudi British relations. He pointed out that Saudi Arabia enjoys a health investment environment. It is worth mentioning that the volume of trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Britain amounted to about SR 17298 million in 2005.