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November 5, 2004 |
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***** The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Turkey's Republic Day anniversary. The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques expressed his good wishes to the President and the people of Turkey and highlighted the existing friendly relations between the two countries and their peoples. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to President Paul Biya on the occasion of his re-election as President of Cameroon. In his own name and on behalf of the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the monarch wished the president good health and happiness and the people of Cameroon steady progress and prosperity. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard has received a message from the King of Morocco Mohammed VI. The message was conveyed by the Moroccan Ambassador to the Kingdom Abdul Kareem Al Sammar. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, also received a message from Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. The message was conveyed to the Crown Prince by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi during a reception. Kharrazi also conveyed greetings of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Mohammad Khatami. On his part, the Crown Prince also conveyed his greetings to the Iranian leadership. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, has sent a message to President Islom Karimov of Uzbekistan inviting him to take part in the International Conference to Combat Terrorism, to be hosted by the Kingdom on the 5th of February 2005. The message was delivered to Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sodiq Safoyev by Saudi Charge d'affaires in Tashkent Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz Abanammi. Later, the Uzbekistani president welcomed the invitation, extending his appreciation for the political leverage and international prestige of the Kingdom, particularly in the hearts of Muslims all over the world. Karimov visions the conference as an important step in the right direction to fight international terrorism and work to dry up its sources. The president confirmed that he would attend the event. The Moroccan government has received 13,200,000 Moroccan Dirham worth of the second instalment of a 50,000,000 Moroccan Dirham donation by Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to build and equip the Cancer Treatment Center in the Moroccan southern city of Agadir. The payment was delivered to the Moroccan government by the Saudi Ambassador to Morocco Dr. Mohammed Ibn Abdul Rahman Al Bishr. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, Al Bishr said the donation is part of Prince Sultan's numerous noble deeds and humanitarian services. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his Palace in Al Madinah Al Munawarah, dignitaries and senior officers of the armed forces, public security and the national guard, who came to greet him on his arrival and congratulate him on the occasion of the blessed month of Ramadan. The audience was attended by Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Al Madinah Al Munawarah Region, other princes and officials. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, graced a Ramadan breakfast party held in his honor by Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Madinah Region. Upon arrival at the venue, Prince Sultan was welcomed by princes, senior officials and dignitaries who congratulated him on safe arrival and the holy month of Ramadan. The party was attended by a number of princes; Ulema; senior officials; and commanders and officers of the armed forces and the public security in the region. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, also graced the event held in Al Madinah by the command of the Madinah region in his honour. At the venue of the event, the command of the Madinah region headquarters, the commander of the Madinah region major general I'shg Ibn Nijr Al Sagr delivered a speech in which he stressed the loyalty, moderation and vigilance of the armed forces. He stated that the destructive acts against the country and which are carried out by the deviant group are wrong and directed against the people and homeland adding that they will not last for long. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of the Interior has chaired the 33rd meeting of the board of Naif University for Security Science. The meeting was attended by members of the board atop of whom the Dean of the university Dr Abdul Aziz Ibn Sakr Al Ghamdi, the Secretary General of the Arab Interior Ministers Council Dr Mohammed Ibn Ali Kuman, the Dean of Moata university in Jordan Dr Eid Abdullah Duhaydat, the Governor of Dakahleya in Egypt Major General Dr Ahmad Ibn Said Sawan, the Advisor to the Minister of the Interior Dr Saed Al Orabi Al Harthi, the Advisor to the Lebanese Minister of the Interior Brigadier General Dr Fadhl Hassan Dhaher, as well as the director of the bureau of the Dean of the University Dr Mohmmed Abdullah Al Amri. The meeting discussed the agenda and endorsed the report presented by the dean of the university on the achievements of the last year as well as the programme for the year 2005. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, received a number of European Union countries' ambassadors and charges d'affaires to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They discussed areas of security cooperation between the kingdom and the EU countries as per their request. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, the Chairman of Board of Directors of Saudi Journalists Commission Turki bin Abdullah Al-Sidairi and members of the commission. The meeting was attended by Prince Dr. Faisal Ibn Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chairman of Board of Directors of the Saudi Group for Research and Marketing, and Prince Mohammed Ibn Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz. Prince Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Chief of General Intelligence, was admitted in King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh to undergo some medical routine tests for several days, a statement by the Royal Court reported. In the statement, the Royal Court wished him continuous health. Prince Abdul Majeed Ibn Abdul Aziz Governor of Makkah region the 13th meeting of committee for projects and budget of the region council. The committee reviewed the projects and ways of financing them and the project achieved in 1425H, in the field of Islamic Affairs, health, the Secretariat of the governorate of Jeddah, the branch of water ministry, the transport administration and the secretariat of the holy city for agriculture. Also the meeting reviewed the obstacles mentioned in the 4th report with regard to the implementation of projects and recommendations in this context. Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz Assistant Minister of the Interior has issued his directives to transfer the member of the security forces Aboud Ibn Mastour Ibn Said Al Shaharani who is receiving treatment at the security forces hospital to Prince Sultan Medical city in Riyadh. Al Shaharani was wounded in the neck during a terrorist attack. He is still in hospital and will be transferred to Prince Sultan medical city for rehabilitation. Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif had issued his directives to treat Al Shaharani at any pleace he likes and he has chosen Prince Sultan medical city at the Prince Sultan city for Humanitarian Services. The Minister of Water and Electricity Eng. Abdullah Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Hussain inaugurated the First National Campaign on Awareness and Water Conservation. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. Al-Hussain praised Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard for his speech on this occasion which stressed the importance of water rationalization. He noted that the tools that will be freely distributed to each house in the Kingdom will save more than 30 percent of water consumption. In a press conference following the inauguration of the campaign, the minister of water and electricity pointed out that the rationalization tools will be distributed to 3.5 million houses in the Kingdom. He indicated that the campaign will continue several years and will include Kingdom's cities, ministries, governmental departments, mosques and other utilities. The minister said that water has been consumed by two sectors: agriculture 85-90 percent and housing, industrial and services establishments 10 percent. Al-Hussain added that 50 percent of the produced water has been wasted or more than the required need of consumption. He noted that water bill will be amended to give a strong message of the importance of water. Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, minister of Labor, has formed an advisory board of businessmen to address different issues concerning manpower. The board s objectives include discussing issues concerning expatriate manpower and contributing in conveying the ministry s viewpoints to the private sector and vice versa. Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi is the chairman of the board which has the following as members: Abdul Rahman Bin Abdullah Al-Zamil, Mohammed Bin Abdul Lateef Jameel, Khalid Bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, Khalid Bin Mohammed Al-Bawardi, Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rumaizan, Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Mousa, Mazin Bin Yusuf Saleh, Safar Bin Abdullah Al-Burqan, Fahad Bin Ismail Al-Gabgab, Nidhal Bin Mohammed Ridhwan and Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al-Turabi. Eng. Yousef Al-Bassam, the Vice Chairman and the Managing Director of the Saudi Fund for Development signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The State Insurance Corporation for the Insurance of Export Credit and Investment of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KECIC). The purpose of the agreement is to facilitate co-operation in the area of Export Credit Guarantee & Insurance as well as exchange of information between the two countries. Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Eng. Ali Ibn Ibrahim Al-Naimi announced that the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Saudi Aramco, discovered a new field of high-grade oil with an average flow of 3,000 barrels per day. The field was discovered in Abu Sidr, 185 kilometres south of Riyadh and 480 kilometres southwest of Dhahran, and was tested on 22 October. The oil density is 54 degrees on the scale of the U.S. Petroleum Institute. Al-Naimi predicted a high rate of production at this field. Upon directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, a Saudi cargo plane laden with relief items left Riyadh air base today heading for the civil-war stricken Sudanese region of Darfur. The C - 130, carrying ambulances, transport trucks, medicines and 30 medical beds, is part of the Saudi airlift designed to help the needy people in Darfur. The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Kuwait Ahmed Ibn þHamad Al-Yahya denied reports on having received a notice from þ þsecurity authorities to evacuate the embassy building.þ Al-Yahya said the embassy's security agents were suspicious of a parcel therefore Kuwaiti security authorities were contacted to make sure the þ þpackage was free of any dangerous materials.þ It turned out the parcel contained a bag of promotion tapes and compact þdiscs of some real estate projects.þ The ambassador stressed the embassy's confidence in Kuwaiti security authorities and confirmed that the embassy is secure. Reports have come out earlier that Kuwaiti security authorities had contacted the Saudi Embassy after having received information on explosives þplanted in the embassy building. King Abdullah II returned home after a brief visit to Kuwait for talks with Emir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah on bilateral relations and regional developments. Stressing the importance of enhancing bilateral ties, particularly the economic cooperation, King Abdullah and Sheikh Jaber discussed means to activate the work of Jordanian-Kuwaiti committee ahead of its meetings in Amman by the beginning of next year. The two leaders also held talks on the Palestinian and Iraqi situations. The King reiterated that any Israeli pullout of the Gaza Strip should be a prelude to a complete and comprehensive withdrawal from the occupied territories, Petra said. The Gaza plan, the King said, must be in line with the roadmap, which envisions an independent Palestinian state by 2005. On Iraq, King Abdullah said Jordan supports all efforts to help bring security and stability to the violence-hit country and welcomes an international conference on rebuilding Iraq, which will take place in Sharm El Sheikh. Sheikh Jaber held an iftar for the King and the accompanying delegation. The delegation included Prime Minister Faisal Fayez, Special Adviser Yousef Dalabih, Royal Court Minister Samir Rifai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs and Government Performance Marwan Muasher, Foreign Minister Hani Mulki and Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Qaraan. The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed that an extraordinary Arab meeting of the Arab League Council at the Ministerial level will take place at the beginning of next January, and that the same time the follow up committee will hold a meeting. Lebanese sources said the extraordinary meeting at the Foreign Ministers level will study preparations for the next Arab Summit that will be held in Algeria. The meeting will work on the Agenda and issues to be discussed in the Arab summit. The 123 rd ordinary session of the Arab League Council will be held at its normal date next March. Egypt is very keen on preserving security and stability of Iraq, Presidential Political Advisor Dr. Osama El Baz said. During a lecture on Friday under the title of "challenges facing the Islamic Nation", he spoke about the international conference to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh next month on Iraq which will be attended by representatives of Iraq together with its neighbouring countries, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference. The conference will address a host of political issues pertaining to the transfer of power from occupation forces to Iraqi people through holding elections all over the country and the formation of a force capable of maintaining Iraq's peace and security. Dr. El Baz ruled out the possibility that Egypt would send troops to Iraq, noting that Cairo is ready instead to train Iraqi security cadres who could undertake the responsibility of carrying out security missions there. Speaking about the situation in Sudan, Dr El Baz voiced Egypt's keenness on maintaining its unity and easing tension by solving Sudan's problems within an African framework. He warned against internationalizing Darfur crisis as this, if should happen, would jeopardize security of Sudan and its neighbours. As for the situation in the Palestinian territories, the presidential advisor said that the world community represented in the Quartet committee is pressing for the implementation of the "roadmap" peace plan which aims at taking several steps in accordance with a definite timetable including Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories. PLO Executive Committee and various Palestinian organisations confirmed their full support to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), national programme and its legitimate Leadership. In Ramallah meeting of Executive Committee (EC) of the PLO, the Palestinian organisations reiterated on their commitment to the national programme of the PLO, affirming its cling to Palestinian basic law. They stressed their commitment to the national path of the PLO and the Palestinian National Authority, aiming at achieving the national rights of return and self determination as well as establishing the Palestinian independent state. The PLO and organisations expressed deep thanks to the Republic of France for hosting President Arafat and for the long lasting support of the Palestinian people and peace based on international community. The Palestinian Legislative Council (PNC) said that there is no constitutional or juridical vacuum in the Palestinian National Authority PNA during President Arafat's treatment in France. In an emergency meeting headed by PNC Speaker Rouhi Fattoh, in Ramallah and Gaza through TV video conference, the PNC confirmed that the Palestinian institutions exercise their duties as usual to prove to the entire world that the Palestinian people are capable to face all challenges. The PNC called on the Palestinian people to unite around their democratically elected President, wishing him a speed recovery and return to homeland. Also the Palestinian National Security Council (PNSC) discussed last Sunday a number of issues related to providing the Palestinian citizens with security as well as banning any limits' exceeding and achieving stability. In its meeting chaired by vice-president of the PNSC, Ahmed Qurei, in the Presidential Headquarter of Ramallah, PNSC voiced out its best wishes for President Arafat to come back home healthy so as to further leading the Palestinian people toward independence and freedom. Fatah Movement Central Committee reiterated its position of enhancing the Palestinian National Authority efforts exerted to achieve security, discipline and law in light of the Israeli aggression. In its meeting in the presidential headquarter of Ramallah, the Central Committee approved the proposals offered by the its members concerning the continuity of the Fatah process of fulfilling its utmost responsibilities the way President Yasser Arafat aspires to. "In light of hard conditions under which the Palestinian people live, we reiterate our complete support for the Palestinian Leadership and President Arafat's national agenda", Fatah Central Committee stated. In conclusion, it confirmed toeing the line of its political agenda, complying with peace in accordance with international legitimacy items and plan of the Road Map so as to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its everlasting capital. Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said has sent a cable of greetings to Abdulaziz Bouteflika, president of the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, on his country's National Day. The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), in association with the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organisation (AIDMO), will host the AGCC industrial estates seminar, on November 29 and 30, at Al Bustan Palace Hotel. Commenting on the seminar, Ahmed Al Dheeb, executive president of PEIE, said: "Industrial estates have formed part of the economic development strategies of many countries since 1945, but it has only been post-1970 that the most rapid growth occurred. "The PEIE operates industrial estates in Rusayl, Sohar, Salalah, Nizwa, Sur, Buraimi, a free zone in Al Mazyunah and Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), a technology park opposite Sultan Qaboos University, so we've considerable experience in initiating and developing industrial estates and technology parks. Indeed, given PEIE's background, Oman is a logical choice to host an important regional industrial estates event," said Al Dheeb. "We had a tremendous response to our annual seminar, the Gulf Enterprise Meet, held in late-September, we hope the AGCC industrial estates seminar will attract similar attention." The Sultanate of Oman participated in the meeting of the experts committee and representative of Arab countries to assess the impacts and the results of the UN for combating corruption, which was held in Cairo, Egypt from the beginning until the 4th of November at the Arab League. The meeting convened by the technical committee of the Arab Justice Ministers comes within the framework of the consulting and coordination committee in order to find a united Arab mechanism for the implementation of the United Nations agreement to combat corruption, in addition to unifying Arab stances towards the UN agreement. Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Abdullah Ibn Zaher Al Hanaei Omani Minister of Justice has ordered the formation of the Sultanate delegation from members of the technical committee to study agreement to combat regional and international crimes, which is under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. The delegation will be chaired by the Assistant General Prosecutor Khamis bin Hamad Al Khalili and the membership of Brigadier Mohammed bin Khalfan Al Dagheshi from the Omani police, Ahmad bin Said Al Hosseini, researcher at the ministry of Justice and Mohammed Ibn Khamis Al Hajri from the Ministry of Finance. In the UK YouGov's findings on the public's overall attitudes towards the conflict in Iraq are startling. "Blair's war" has done the British Prime Minister no good. "Bush's war" has all but destroyed whatever reputation President George W Bush ever had among Britons. Most of YouGov's findings relating to Iraq make bleak reading from the Government's point of view. The proportion of voters believing that Britain and the United States were "wrong to take military action against Iraq" - 54 per cent - now constitutes a clear majority and is the largest proportion since YouGov began asking the relevant question during the war itself. Sixty per cent of Britons believe that American and British actions in Iraq have "increased the threat of global terrorism", with only nine per cent believing the opposite, and a clear majority of the British people, 56 per cent, say they personally feel "less safe" now than they did before the war. Mr Blair's credibility - both as a truth-teller and as a wise leader - has also suffered immense, probably irreparable, damage. As the figures in the chart indicate, only one voter in three believes that when Mr Blair advocated the invasion of Iraq he "genuinely believed" that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction which posed an imminent threat to the outside world. A far larger proportion, 64 per cent, believe either that Mr Blair did indeed think that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction posed a threat but that he either "exaggerated the threat in order to justify the invasion" (39 per cent) or else was actually lying about the threat (25 per cent). As the figures in the chart also indicate, a substantial 59 per cent of Britons lack confidence in the Prime Minister's ability "to take the right decisions about Iraq". The US stressed that Syria has achieved a progress over its own demands concerning the Iraqi file and that it failed in two other axes embodied in stopping support for the Palestinian resistance and its withdrawal from the Lebanese territories. The spokesman for the US Department Of State Richard Boucher said that Damascus has "completed" some steps in observing its borders with Iraq and halting the passage of fighters from it. Israel wants to buy 103 armored cars that were manufactured in the United States under license from a German firm to patrol the occupied Palestinian territories, the Financial Times Deutschland reported. The U.S. firm Textron is authorized to make the Dingo 2 armored car on behalf of the German firm Krauss-Maffei, the paper reported. The Dingo 2, already being used in the Balkans and Afghanistan, is a relatively fast all-terrain vehicle capable of carrying up to eight soldiers and is impervious to small arms fire and artillery fragments. It can also protect its occupants from mine blasts. A Krauss-Maffei spokeswoman told the paper that under the terms of the licensing contract any sale of the vehicles to a third country would have to first gain the approval of Germany. "Possible exports to third countries are foreseen in the contract," she explained. Asked about the purchase, a spokesman said that Berlin had received "neither a preliminary inquiry nor a request for the export of Dingo 2 troop transport vehicles." "Therefore I don't wish to comment on the matter," he said. The leaders of the European Union's 25 member states gathered in Rome to sign the new EU constitution. Later the heads of state planned to return home to try and sell the document to lawmakers or citizens, depending on how each member state intends to seek ratification, the Times of London reported. As many as 19 countries will hold referendums, with the first vote expected in Spain in February. The rest will put the question to a parliamentary vote. The deadline for ratification is June 2006. Opinion polls suggest at least four nations -- Britain, Poland, the Czech Republic and Denmark -- could reject it, while in France and Ireland sentiment is split. The Jordanian committee responsible for the restoration of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine, has launched a mammoth project to revamp the mosque's wall, the first such drive in four centuries. "It is the first real restoration of the mosque's walls since the 16th century," Raef Najm, the committee's deputy chairman, told Agence France Presse (AFP). "It is a historic project to preserve an important part of the human civilization," he said. The UN Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) added Al-Aqsa mosque to the world heritage list in 1982 and reassured its decision in 2004. The committee, established in 1925, started a few days ago a sophisticated operation to repair the eastern wall of the mosque which Najm expected to cost 100,000 dinars ($ 140,000). The Jordanian architect said a modern technique is being used to repair the walls which were affected by time and water leakage. "It is a modern technique used in preserving ancient walls. Such a technique allows the building to resist earthquakes as one whole body." Najm dismissed as groundless Israeli allegations that Al-Aqsa Mosque is likely to collapse under hundreds of thousands of Muslim worshipers who flock to the mosque during the fasting month of Ramadan. "Al Aqsa is not likely to collapse over earthquakes unless all ancient buildings in the old city of Al Quds crumble down." The Sultanate of Oman represented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications will host between the 4th and the 9th of December the 10th exhibition for stamps in the Gulf Co-operation Countries. The Exhibition will be held at Al Harthy building in Al Karm. A meeting of officials for Communications in the GCC will also be held at the same time at the Intercontinental Hotel on the 4th and 5th of December. On the 4th the exhibition will be opened, the meeting will take place then the official dinner will be held, and on the second day the concluding session of the meeting will be held. On the 9th the official ceremony will take place and awards will be distributed. The exhibition will be opened to the public over two periods: from 9am to 1pm and from 4pm until 8.30 pm. The Head of Arab-British Studies Society Sarah Serite has praised continuous efforts exerted by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland in briefing the British people on the real image of the Saudi people and various aspects of life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Addressing participants in the Red Sea Conference currently in progress in London, she said that his efforts were not only limited to the increase in contribution of Saudi researchers, experts and academicians to the success of the conference, but also included a Journey to Islam's Heart Exhibition in the headquarters of the Houses of Commons and Lords; Saudi Days Festival and a number of lectures and symposiums. On the other hand, she described the working paper presented to the conference by the Secretary General of the Saudi National Commission of Wildlife Conservation and Development Dr. Abdulaziz Abu Zinada as very useful. Iran's foreign ministry denied US media reports that it has given shelter to Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, saying the charge was nothing more than pre-election hysteria. "Neither Bin Laden nor any other extremist member of Al Qaeda is present in Iran, except a few middle-ranking members who are being held in prison," ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. "It seems that as we reach the high point in the US election, that country's papers have the duty to fabricate news ... It is only to cover up the US shortcomings in fighting terrorism," he said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi welcomed Europe's offer of nuclear fuel supplies but said it would not nonetheless deter Tehran from pursuing its legitimate right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. At his weekly press briefing, Asefi told reporters that the proposal was in itself regarded by Iran as a positive measure but that it would not make it abandon its legal right to produce nuclear energy for civilian purposes. In response to a reporter's question regarding Europe's proposal that Iran suspend its enrichment activities for 10 years, he said no proposal of the kind had been extended to Iran, adding that there was never a mention of the number of years. He said that the Europeans had indeed focused on the issue of uranium enrichment suspension, but that their proposal was that Iran suspend uranium enrichment "for as long as nuclear talks are continuing." Asefi said that the phrase "as long as talks are continuing" should be defined clearly and precisely. On the impact of the Iranian Parliament's double-urgency bill annulling a previous bill suspending uranium enrichment, he said he believed the two bills did not necessarily contradict each other because the Islamic Republic of Iran has every right to pass laws or legislation as called for by the exigencies of the time. Meanwhile, Asefi said Iran's negotiations with Europe were on track. Turning to the subject of the imminent US presidential elections and in response to a question on which of the two parties (Democrat or Republican) Iran favored, Asefi said that it did not really make any real difference to Iran. Responding to another question regarding the date of the Iraqi president's planned visit to Tehran, the spokesman replied that the no date has yet been fixed for the visit and pointed out that Iran considered such visits as beneficial for the convergence of regional states as well as in the interest of stability and peace in the region. Asefi also assessed the result of talks held in Moscow toward resolving the Caspian Sea as "positive." On the result of the US presidential election and its probable impact on the Iran nuclear case, he said past experiences have taught us that the two parties are not really any different and that both favor the imposition of pressures on Iran. Asefi said he was not going to make predictions on the results of the presidential elections, but expressed his hope that the American parties have learned a lesson from the past, that is, that interaction and dialogue, and not pressure or threats, were the only ways to talk to Iran. Interior Minister Rashad al-Alimi and the Secretary General of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers (CAIM) Mohammed Kawman discussed in Sana'a on Saturday efforts to enhance bilateral security liaison. Kawman who is currently in a tour to CAIM member countries to present them with a draft of the CAIM agenda for the next assembly is also surveying Yemen's outlook toward a set of security matters. The Interior Minister spoke highly of the CAIM Secretary General for his efforts in strengthening the common cooperation of Arab states in field of security. Dr Abdelouahed BelKeziz, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. expressed his regret at the incident which took place on October 25 in Tak Bai, Province of Narathiwat in Southern Thailand and caused the death of tens of Muslims. Mr. Secretary-General stated that this painful incident has become even more painful as it took place during the blessed month of Ramadan. The Secretary-General called upon the Thai government to exercise restraint, to seek peaceful solutions to the problems of Narathiwat, and to opt for dialogue that may lead to the establishment of social peace and stability in the area. He also expressed his satisfaction for the Thai government's conducting of a neutral enquiry into the causes of these events and punishing those responsible for them. The Foreign Minister of Thailand had made a phone conversation with Mr. Secretary-General concerning this incident. The OIC General Secretariat also received the Consul General of Thailand in Jeddah and requested from him explanations for the incident of 25 October. The Organization is still making contacts with the Thai authorities concerning this issue. |