Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, while in Alexandria as part of Crown Prince Abdullah's delegation, held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Maher, discussing the latest developments in the Middle East, including Israel's attacks on the Palestinian people and Israeli-planned assassinations of Palestinian activists. The talks also included ways of expediting the implementation of the Mitchell Report, whose recommendations are designed to re-start the 'final stage' negotiations based on the United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly numbers 242 and 338, and the land-for-peace principle, which crystallized into a definite plan at Madrid conference.
In a cable to President Mubarak on his departure, Crown Prince Abdullah paid tribute to Egypt's historic struggle for and defense of Arab and Islamic causes, and declared that the Arab world would in the end, with the help of God Almighty, overcome the difficulties and challenges facing it, provided that it can crystallize its unity with goodwill, self-confidence, transparency and credibility. The Crown Prince stressed that the current tense situation in the Middle East is due to Israel's intransigence, and warned that the Jewish state might lose a precious opportunity for peace with its Arab neighbors. Israel, he said, derives its military might and strength from foreign assistance that even the Israelis know cannot last forever.