Saudi Arabian and U.S. Leaders Continue Consultations for Mideast Peace

As part of the ongoing consultations between the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United States in the quest for a negotiated resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli crisis and a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal visited Washington, DC, in May and June for meetings with President George W. Bush and senior U.S. officials.

Visiting the White House on June 13, Prince Saud, who was accompanied by Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, met separately with President Bush [photo, left], Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. In a statement to reporters, Prince Saud referred to his meeting with President Bush as “good, full and positive,” and expressed the view that Saudi Arabia and the United States “are commonly working together on the road for peace, a peace that will respond to the aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish security and normality in the region.”

Prince Saud met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in both visits. Following their meeting on May 6, the two held a joint press conference at the State Department in Washington, DC, during which Prince Saud told reporters that Saudi Arabia and the United States “have remained in contact; we are both trying to move the peace process forward. Needless to say, all parties who are involved in this have to do their part in pushing the peace process forward.”

Prince Saud and Secretary of State Powell went on to say that the two countries “hope that the efforts that are being expended to complete the Israeli withdrawal are finalized so that we can move toward the next steps.”

In response to questions about a possible international peace conference proposed by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the United Nations, Prince Saud remarked: “The idea ... is being looked at. The conference or a meeting is not an objective in itself; it depends on what that meeting includes. Until these ideas are cleared, I don’t think we can give an opinion on that. But it is not a bad idea if the content is the proper content.”

Secretary Powell stated that the ongoing contacts between Saudi Arabia and the United States are a sign of close cooperation, and added: “I had the  opportunity again today to express to Prince Saud our appreciation for the initiative taken by Crown Prince Abdullah when he put forward his vision [for peace]; and now that vision has been adopted by the Arab League, and it forms one of the important elements of our strategy of moving forward. … I look forward to staying in very, very close touch with the Saudi leadership and with other Arab leaders, the Egyptians, the Jordanians and many others, as we move forward to see if we can get through this period of crisis.”