Crown Prince Abdullah and President Bush Meet in Texas

Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz met with U.S. President George W. Bush on April 25 to discuss ways of reducing tension in the Middle East and achieving a just and lasting peace. During their nearly five-hour meeting at President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, Crown Prince Abdullah conveyed to the President a clear picture of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, stressing the need to find a way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region that guarantees security and stability for all its peoples. He also presented to President Bush an eight-point proposal for achieving peace between the Palestinians and Israel.

President Bush told reporters after the meeting that he had forged a “strong personal bond” with Crown Prince Abdullah and that they had discussed ways of implementing the Saudi leader’s vision for Mideast peace.

Crown Prince Abdullah characterized the meeting as warm and frank. He said that he had explained to President Bush the peace initiative that he had presented and that was adopted at the recent League of Arab States Summit in Beirut [see story, Page 1] and urged the United States to support it. He impressed upon President Bush the importance of the U.S. role in achieving peace and stability in the world, especially in the Middle East, and the need to implement the peace initiative in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The United States, Crown Prince Abdullah stressed, as one of the sponsors of the peace process, should deal fairly with the Arab-Israeli conflict and take into consideration the rights of the Arabs.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan.

After the meeting, Crown Prince Abdullah returned to Houston, Texas, where he extended his visit to allow senior Saudi and U.S. officials to hold meetings and discuss a range of important issues raised during his meeting with President Bush. The Crown Prince received a telephone call on April 28 from President Bush, who thanked him for the frank and sincere talks they had held, saying they reflect the deep friendship and transparent relationship between the two countries. Crown Prince Abdullah expressed his appreciation for the President’s efforts that have led to a relaxation of the crisis in the Middle East, and confirmed the Saudi government’s determination to continue to work for a just and comprehensive peace in the region.

While in Houston, Crown Prince Abdullah also held separate talks with Vice President Dick Cheney on April 24 and later with former President Bill Clinton. He also met with a large group of Saudi students and traveled to College Station, Texas, to visit former President George Bush at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

Crown Prince Abdullah concluded his official visit on April 29.