His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, issued the following statement at the conclusion of the visit of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to the United States:

“There was a telephone conversation between the two leaders in which the Crown Prince thanked the President of the United States for the warm hospitality extended to him.

“The two leaders reaffirmed the historical and rock-solid relationship which reflects the strategic interest of the two countries.

“They both valued the candor and frankness which characterized the warm discussion at Crawford, Texas.

“The Crown Prince expressed his deep appreciation for the intense efforts exerted by the President and the Administration to break the impasse in the current Middle East crisis. Both leaders expressed that this would be the first step towards a political negotiation that would lead to a comprehensive and just peace in the area, and they promised to remain engaged and cooperate in the pursuit of that objective.

“In the meantime, they both expressed the hope that all sides will renounce the use of violence as a means of resolving political disputes.”