Sharm-El-Sheikh, July 29: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah arrived here Wednesday on the first leg of a four-nation tour which will also take him to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan aimed at strengthening Arab unity and reviving the Middle East peace process.
King Abdullah, who flew in from his royal residence in Casablanca, held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on major regional and international issues and ways of boosting bilateral relations.
Informed sources said the two leaders discussed the most pressing issues in the region, including the Arab-Israeli conflict, the standoff between Iran and the West on Tehran’s nuclear program and efforts to form a unity government in Iraq.
After talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Thursday, the two leaders are likely to visit Beirut together in a major move to ease tensions in Lebanon.
“The visit of King Abdullah and President Assad, who are coming together on Friday, will be an answer for all the questions about stability in Lebanon,” Nohad Al-Machnouk, a member of Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s parliamentary bloc, told.
Syrian officials have not confirmed that Assad would accompany the Saudi ruler to Lebanon. The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, is also expected in Beirut on Friday.
Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja highlighted the significance of King Abdullah’s visit to the four Arab countries because of the delicate situation the Arab world is in and the Ummah’s need for greater efforts to strengthen unity.
“King Abdullah is well-known for his farsightedness, wisdom and sound views. He knows the problems facing the Arab world. He embarked on this visit to discuss ways to strengthen inter-Arab relations and achieve Arab unity,” the minister said.
Khoja said King Abdullah would discuss with the four leaders major Arab issues, most importantly Palestine, and the atrocities being committed against the Palestinian people.
“The king will explore prospects of reviving the peace process in order to establish a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, ensuring the legitimate rights of the Palestinians including the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” Khoja said, adding that the talks would also focus on Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia and Arab unity.
The Egyptian ambassador to the Kingdom said the talks in Sharm El-Sheikh were within the framework of the continuous coordination between the two countries on various issues. He commended the growing economic relations between the two countries. Saudi Arabia is the second largest investor in Egypt. Bilateral trade rose from $800 million in 2005 to $4 billion in 2009.
-Agencies