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March 2, 2007 |
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***** The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the anniversary of his country's national day. The King wished the Emir permanent good health and happiness and his brotherly people steady progress and prosperity, commending fraternal relations binding the two brotherly countries and their peoples. A similar cable of congratulations was also sent to the Kuwaiti Emir on this occasion by Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz has sent a cable of condolences to Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf on the dead and injured victims of bombing friendship train linking India and Pakistan. The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received a telephone call From President Jacques Chirac of France. During the conversation, the latest developments at the regional and international arenas, notably the situation in the Middle East, were discussed and the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them reviewed. The Custodian Of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz received a message from Morocco's King Mohammed VI. The message was handed over to the King by Morocco's Ambassador to the Kingdom Abdulkareem Al-Sammar during an audience with the King at the royal court at Al-Yamamah Palace. During the audience, the Ambassador conveyed to King Abdullah the greetings of the Moroccan King. in turn, King Abdullah sent his greetings to King Mohammed VI. The audience was attended by Abdulmohsen Bin Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, advisor to the King. The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz received a message from Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The message was handed over to the King By Mohammed Dhaifullah Sharar, Advisor at Kuwait's Emir court during the King's audience with him and the accompanying delegation at the royal court at Al-Yamamah palace. During the audience, the kuwaiti advisor conveyed to king abdullah the greetings of the kuwaiti emir and crown prince sheikh nawaf al-ahmed al-jaber al-sabah. In turn, king abdullah sent his greetings to them. The audience was attended by dr. Abdulaziz al-khuwaiter, minister of state and cabinet member and abdulmohsen bin abdulaziz al-tuwaijri, advisor to the king. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General is patronizing the activities of the Second International Conference of the Arab aviation security lasting for three days and organized by the General Authority for Civil Aviation in cooperation with the International Civil Aviation Organization IATA in Jeddah under the slogan "Let us work together to confront the threats to aviation security. The Head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Abdullah Al-Rahimi said that the conference is being attended by more than 500 participants from all over the world. Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh region, received here today Kuwaiti ambassador designate to the Kingdom Sheikh Hamad bin Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah. During the meeting, they exchanged cordial talks and reviewed issues pertaining to the existing distinguished bilateral relationship between the two countries. The meeting was attended by Prince Naif bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh region, received here today Austrian ambassador to the Kingdom Friedrich Stift. During the meeting, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed topics of mutual concern. The meeting was attended by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos signed a general cooperation agreement between the Kingdom and Spain. The agreement aims to enhance relations between the two friendly countries in economic, investment, commercial, health, educational, cultural, information, tourism, youth, sports, environmental, water and electricity fields. Earlier, Prince Saud participated in the official ceremony of founding the higher commission sponsoring Arab house institute. The Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Rahman bin Hamad al-Attiyah met in the Austrian capital Vienna with the Director of the Agency the International Atomic Energy Agency, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei. Following the end of the meeting, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council said in a press statement that he told Dr. ElBaradei of the content of the resolution passed in the summit of leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (summit Jaber), which was held last December in Riyadh on a joint study on peaceful nuclear program common for the Gulf Cooperation Council, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmation of the principle of transparency and that the program planned to be implemented after the completion of studies is for peaceful uses and in the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and international standards for security and safety the IAEA and conventions including the Convention guarantees. The Saudi Ambassador in Lebanon Abdel-Aziz Khoja is carrying on with his shuttle-like efforts with the two sides in the Lebanese crisis (the majority and the opposition), in search of points of convergence of easing matters, which reached its peak in the last week. These endeavours have gained great importance in the light of the lack of communication between the parties involved, and the absence of the Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri from Lebanon. King Abdullah II of Jordan held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, that focused on means of pushing the peace process forward in addition to bilateral relations and means of boosting them. Abdullah II and Mubarak urged the international community, particularly the International Quartet to exert more efforts to help the Palestinians and Israelis to resume negotiations to solve outstanding issues. The Yemeni Islah Party has elected president, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hassan Al Ahmar for a new period of four years. He, however, did not attend the conference where medical examinations in Saudi Arabia. Al Ahmar(74 years old)won for the fourth time, by an overwhelming majority of votes from among the 4000 delegates participated in the Fourth General Conference of the Party in Sanaa. Saudi-German friendship committee of the Shoura Council headed by Dr. Fahd bin Nasser Al-Oboud, the council's member and committee's chairman met with German ambassador to the Kingdom Juergen Krieghoff. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation between the two countries in economic, political, social and parliamentary fields. UNESCO, the U.N. cultural organization, will send a technical team to Jerusalem to assess the Israeli excavations around the al-Aqsa Mosque, according to a statement. Jerusalem is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and World Heritage in Danger List. International outcry erupted when Israel began excavations of the outer square around the al-Aqsa Mosque without consulting with the proper authorities. The 1,300-year-old mosque is one of the most sacred sites to Muslims. The five-person UNESCO team, expected to arrive in Jerusalem, includes Director-General of the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) Mounir Bouchenaki and president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Michael Petzel. 'I believe that such a mission constitutes the most appropriate response to the present situation and could also be a means of helping to alleviate tensions and restore a climate of confidence favorable to the dialogue that we all wish for', said UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura. More troops are to be sent to Afghanistan in the coming months, the British defence secretary, Des Browne, has confirmed. Mr Browne told the House of Commons in the United Kingdom that the country was "shouldering a greater share of the burden" for Nato in Afghanistan than it would like, but that the move followed "unequivocal military" advice that the troops were needed. Yemen has deposited in the Arab League the official maps concerning the treaty of the international land and sea borders and its annexes signed between Yemen and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on 10/3/1421 h. corresponding to 12/6/2000 g. Ali Ahmad Aljoofi, advisor at Yemen's permanent representative office in the Arab League, deposited the maps, which are part and parcel of the treaty and are official documents of the Arab League. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Geir O. Pedersen of Norway as Special Coordinator for Lebanon at the level of Under-Secretary-General. Mr. Pedersen currently serves as the Secretary-General's Personal Representative for Lebanon. He previously served as the Secretary-General's Personal Representative for southern Lebanon. Prior to that, Mr. Pedersen served as Director of the Asia and Pacific Division in the Department of Political Affairs. In this capacity, he also worked on the Middle East peace process and Iraq. Sultan Qaboos bin Said has issued orders during his annual meet-the-people tour this year to implement a number of services and development projects in the roads, electricity, water and health sectors in the wilayats of the Sharqiyah region at a total cost of RO47,042,050, an official source told ONA. The source said the Sultan has issued orders to the ministers accompanying him to visit villages, regions and different quarters in the wilayats of the northern and southern Sharqiyah region, in order to identify his people's needs and basic requirements for development in these wilayats. The source noted that following the Sultan's orders and directives, the ministers visited 364 villages and quarters in the wilayats of the Sharqiyah region, including the wilayats of Ibra, Bidiyah, Al Qabil, Wadi Bani Khalid, Dimma Wa'taeen, Al Mudhaibi, Sur, Ja'alan Bani Bu Ali and Bani Bu Hassan and Al Kamil Wa Al Wafi. After these field visits, the ministers submitted their report to the Sultan, which contained a number of basic requirements for development in the wilayats of the Sharqiyah region. The Sultan's orders included construction and paving of 794km-long roads, installation of 5,771 street lights, construction of health centres, rehabilitation of Sinaw Hospital, providing electricity lines to some villages and quarters as well as to industrial estates, the source elaborated. The Sultan also gave orders to set up a number of markets, drill water wells, and set up water filling stations at many of the wilayats in the Sharqiyah region. These projects would contribute significantly to facilitating economic and tourism activities as well as boosting social and cultural activities among the people in various wilayats of the Sultanate, the source noted. The total cost of the projects The Sultan ordered to implement in the wilayats of the Al Dakhiliyah, the Al Wusta and the Sharqiyah regions, during his annual tour this year, amounted to RO83.042,050. Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia in response to the Sultan's cable of condolences on the death of Prince Mitab bin Bandar bin Mohammed Al Saud. In his cable, King Abdullah expressed his thanks for the Sultan's sincere feelings and kind prayers. Sultan Qaboos bin Said has also received a cable of thanks from Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, paramount ruler of Malaysia, in response to his congratulatory cable on him assuming the post of the paramount ruler of Malaysia, thanking him for his congratulations and emphasising the importance of enhancing ties of friendship between the two countries. He wished the Sultan good health and happiness and the Omani people further progress and prosperity. The Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa stressed the importance that there be an Iranian-Arab dialogue, expressing his belief that this dialogue has already begun through negotiations between a number of Arab countries and Iran. Moussa said in a press statement that this dialogue is important because Iran is part of the region. He added that dialogue and understanding between Arab countries and Iran must be based on common interests. The UN Security Council condemned the terrorist attacks in Iraq, which caused death and injury of many Iraqi civilians. The President of the Council and Slovakian Ambassador Peter Burian said after the meeting to discuss the situation in Iraq: 'We call for an end to violence in the country and for double the efforts to meet the goals set by the United Nations to restore peace and security.' Arab League chief Amr Moussa on Sunday denied reports that Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman have agreed to allow Israeli warplanes to cross their airspaces to strike Iran. Moussa was quoted by Egypt's official MENA news agency as saying that foreign ministers of the three countries told him on Sunday that reports published by Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz on their countries' approval of Israeli warplanes to cross their airspaces to strike Iran were baseless. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the war in Iraq would go down in history as the worst disaster in U.S. foreign policy. President George W. Bush has squandered the moral authority established by former President Jimmy Carter in his presidency when he pursued a foreign policy that promoted human rights as a central goal, Albright said during a public conversation with the former president at the Carter Center in Atlanta. The United States has no intention of extending its missile defense system in Europe beyond Poland and the Czech Republic, a senior U.S. military official said. Henry Obering, head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, told a news conference that his country did not have any further plan to expand its anti-missile shield to other nations. Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said at the news conference that "Russia is not the intended target" of the missile shield in Europe. "We have not developed this system without intensive consultations with both Europeans and the Russians." Engineer Maged George, the Egyptian Minister of State for Environmental Affairs said his country pays great attention to environmental issues, which culminated in a request to President Hosni Mubarak asking for the inclusion of a special article on the protection of the environment within the Egyptian Constitution. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog will meet the North Korean government next month to discuss the shutdown of its nuclear programme and bring the secretive communist state back under U.N. supervision, Reuters reported. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei said he had received an invitation from Pyongyang on Friday, after a deal last week to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear site and allow U.N. inspectors into the country. "The first (issue) of course is how to develop a plan to freeze the Yongbyon facilities, and more importantly to make sure that they come back as a fully-fledged member of the agency," ElBaradei told reporters in Vienna. "I very much welcome this opportunity," said ElBaradei in a joint briefing with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is visiting Vienna. A spokeswoman for the IAEA added that ElBaradei planned to go after an IAEA board meeting in March. |