Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation

and Inspector-General, was received today in Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Zayed Ibn Sultan

Al-Nahayan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to whom he conveyed the greetings

of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Abdullah

Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard.  Prince Sultan

and his accompanying delegation are on a short state visit to the UAE.

In a statement on his arrival, Prince Sultan said the aim of the visit, which he described as

fraternal and amicable, was to enhance Arab solidarity, adding that it had no specific purpose

other than that.  He went on to deny reports that the United States had asked Crown Prince

Abdullah, during his recent visit to Jordan, to postpone the convening of an Arab summit. 

Prince Sultan stated that the Americans had in fact intimated to Crown Prince Abdullah their

continuing endeavors towards peace, and had indicated that within ten days the U.S.

president's initiative would be announced. Prince Sultan then reiterated that the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia supports Arab consensus, saying: "If Arab leaders agree by consensus on any

issue, we will be the first to commit ourselves to it".

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