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March 25, 2005 |
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***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Tunisia's President Zine Al-Abedine bin Ali on the anniversary of his country's Independence. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques wished the President continuous good health and happiness and the brotherly people of Tunisia steady progress and prosperity. In his cable, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also hailed the existing good relations between the two countries. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, have also sent similar cables of greetings to the Tunisian president. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Iran's President Sayid Mohammad Khatemi on the advent of the new year. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz wished the President continuous good health and happiness and the Iranian people steady progress and prosperity. In his cable, King Fahd also hailed the existing good relations between the two countries. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, have also sent similar cables of greetings to the Iranian president. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received a message from Algeria's President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika. The message was delivered to the crown prince during an audience here tonight with visiting Speaker of Algeria's National Assembly Abdul Qader Ibn Salih and his accompanying delegation. The audience was attended by Prince Badr Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Commander of the National Guard; Prince Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, Special Advisor to the monarch; Prince Faisal Ibn Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Assistant Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Dr. Abdul Rahman Ibn Saud Al Kabeer; Prince Mohammed Ibn Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Italy; Prince Mansour Ibn Nassir Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor at the Crown Prince's Court; other princes; and senior protocol officials. Then the guests and attendees had dinner with the crown prince. Following the banquet, Crown Prince Abdullah held a meeting with the Speaker of Algeria's National Assembly during which he conveyed to the crown prince the greetings of the Algerian president. On his part, Crown Prince Abdullah sent his greetings to the president. During the meeting, they reviewed the overall developments at the Arab arena in addition to aspects of cooperation between the two countries. The meeting was attended by Prince Badr Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Commander of the National Guard and Prince Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, Special Advisor to the monarch. On the Algerian side, the meeting was attended by Mohammed Haloub, Advisor to the National Assembly's speaker and Algeria's Ambassador to the Kingdom Abdul Kareem Ghareeb. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, has approved a proposal forwarded to him by Prince Sultan Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the General President of Youth Welfare, to elect half of the members of the Saudi Olympic Committee and sports federations all over the Kingdom. The directive also authorized the youth welfare president to appoint the chairmen of all sports federations and give the sports clubs, in their capacity as general assemblies of the sports federations, the chance to select their representatives in the boards of directors. The sports clubs representatives constitute 50 percent of the federations membership, the order explained. The directive also directed the sports authority to get in touch with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs to benefit from its experience in holding Saudi Arabia's first municipal elections. Accordingly, an ad hoc committee will be formed under the chairmanship of Prince Nawaf Ibn Faisal Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy President of Youth Welfare, to draft the executive regulations for setting up sports federations in their new shape, the directive said. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, received at his office at Al Yamamah palace in Riyadh former President Lech Walesa of Poland and the accompanying delegation. The Crown Prince welcomed Walesa and the delegation, wishing them a good stay. On his part, Walesa praised the Kingdom's development in all fields and commended the friendship binding the two countries. The audience was attended by Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior, other princes and officials. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, received at the royal court at Al Yamamah palace in Riyadh princes, senior officials and citizens who came to greet him. The Crown Prince also received a delegation of Qassim-based Al-Muslimat Tribe from Anzah who condemned the criminal acts perpetrated by the deviant group. The Crown Prince thanked them for their support for the Saudi leadership and their loyalty to their religion and homeland. The audiences were attended by a number of princes and officials. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, received the Bosnian ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Ali Hajetsh, on the occasion of the end of his term of office in the country. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, received Gilles de Robien, the French Minister of Infrastructure, Transport, Spatial Planning, Tourism and Sea, and the accompanying delegation. They reviewed bilateral relations at the meeting attended by Minister of Transport Dr Jubarah Al--Sireisiri and the French ambassador to the Kingdom. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General received at his palace in Al Aziziya the Chairman of the Shoura Council Dr Saleh Ibn Abdullah Ibn Homaid. During the meeting they discussed issues relating to the Shoura council and Prince Sultan was briefed on its activities in the service of the country. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, received the Former Polish President Lech Walesa. The meeting was attended by Polish ambassador to the Kingdom Adam Kolach and Walesa's accompanying delegation. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister received at his office the Greek Ambassador Designate to the Kingdom Iwanis Theodoros Akonomo. During the meeting, they reviewed topics of mutual concern. The meeting was attended by Major General Saud bin Saleh Aldawood, the Acting Director General of the Interior Minister's office for Studies and Research. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, patronized the inauguration ceremony of the 33rd session of General Commission of Red Crescent and Red Cross Arab Organizations and opened the building of Saudi Red Crescent Society which cost SR. 47 million. Prince Salman was accompanied by a number of princes. Upon arrival at the venue, Prince Salman was received by Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Manei and a number of officials. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. Addressing the ceremony, Prince Salman said that the government led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Crown Prince and the Second Deputy Premier has given priority to the service of citizens and the provision of excellent services to them. Head of the Saudi Red Crescent Society Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Sowailim announced that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has donated SR6 million for the benefit of the society. Prince Salman handed Certificates of Merit for major donors which were won by King Fahd, Prince Talal Ibn Abdul Aziz, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz and Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh region, received Gilles de Robien, the French Minister of Infrastructure, Transport, Spatial Planning, Tourism and Sea. They reviewed aspects of cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France in various domains. The meeting was attended by the French ambassador to the Kingdom. On the other hand, Prince Salman received today John Konji, the representative of UNICEF in the Arab and Gulf countries, and Dr Nizar Hassan Saman, the Chief of the UNICEF's advisors. They reviewed aspects of cooperation between the Kingdom and the UNICEF. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh Region, received a delegation from French Senate headed by the Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces, Serge Vincent. During the meeting, they reviewed aspects of cooperation between the two countries. The reception was attended by French Ambassador to the Kingdom Charles-Henri d'Aragon. Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, has issued decisions forming appeals and grievances committees in the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Qasim, Hail, Tabuk, Jouf and Northern Borders as well as the provinces of Jeddah and Taif. The decisions explained that the committees will consider appeals and grievances stated in the law of election of the members of the municipal councils, instructions of the election campaigns and instructions of election-related appeals and grievances. Bandar Al-Hajjar has been appointed president of the National Society of Human Rights, replacing Abdullah Ibn Saleh Al-Obeid who was recently appointed minister of education. Hamad Al-Majed was named the human rights body's new vice president. Hajjar, 53, is an expert in Islamic economy and public administration. Born in Madinah, Hajjar received his bachelor's degree from King Saud University in Riyadh in 1975. He took his masters in economics from Indiana University in the US and finished his Ph.D. in 1989 in the UK. Hajjar was previously vice president of the Islamic Economy Center, vice dean of administration and economics faculty, lecturer at King Saud University from 1982 to 1984 and lecturer at King Abdul Aziz University from 1989 till date. Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs, received Iran's Ambassador to the Kingdom Hussein Salati who came to greet Prince Khalid. During the meeting, the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest. An official source denied press reports that a mediation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Libya was in progress and has achieved its purpose. What has been reported by some media and news agencies on mediation between the Kingdom and Libya and that this mediation has achieved its purpose is baseless, the source said. The source added that what has been proved by documents on the Libyan plot and the relevant investigations will be referred to judiciary and that the facts on it will be announced by the authorities concerned in the Kingdom in due time. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to increase production quotas by 500,000 million barrels a day with immediate effect, OPEC President Ahmed Fahed al-Sabah told reporters. A half-million barrel-per-day increase would boost the official quota to 27.5 million barrels. The OPEC president was given authorization to increase the official rate by another 500,000 before the next OPEC conference on June 7, should conditions warrant. Although the official quota was hiked, actual production currently exceeds 27.5 million barrels, making the gesture in Isfahan more of a psychological move. "We do not want unnecessary prices", Sabah said. "OPEC will be ready to supply", said Sabah, who also serves as the Kuwaiti oil minister. Host Iran said the OPEC decision to increase of the OPEC quota was a "sign of goodwill" to the oil consumers. "We believe that we reacted appropriately to global concern regarding the price hike in the oil market and sent them a sign of goodwill," Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar-Zanganaeh said at the OPEC plenary session in Isfahan in central Iran. Sabah told Arab reporters at the conference that the OPEC decision to increase production for the fourth time in less than a year was a signal that the cartel was not interested in a price race with consumers. "Despite the OPEC decision to increase the quota, the prices will eventually be influenced by market speculations and geopolitical developments rather than the OPEC mechanism," said Hussein Kazempur- Ardebili, the OPEC governor for Iran. Saudi Minister of Justice Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Ibn Ibrahim Al Alsheikh and his Syrian counterpart Mohammad Alghifri signed a Saudi-Syrian agreement to boost cooperation in the judicial field between the two countries. The singing ceremony of the 27-article judicial agreement was attended by a number of senior officials of the two countries. The Chairman of Shoura Council Dr. Salih Ibn Abdullah Ibn Homaid received at his office in Riyadh the former President Lech Walesa of Poland and the accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they exchanged cordial talks and reviewed the enhancement of bilateral relations between the Council and the Polish Parliament. Dr. Bin Homaid also received Canada's Ambassador to the Kingdom Roderick Bell. During the meeting, they discussed topics of mutual concern notably in the parliamentary field. The two meetings were attended by a number of the Council's officials. Sultan Qaboos gave an audience at Hisn Ash'shumookh to General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Heir Apparent of Dubai and the UAE Defence Minister. After that the Sultan and Al Maktoum discussed the strong bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in various fields. The audience was attended from the Omani side by Sayyid Ali bin Hamoud al Busaidy, Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court; Sayyid Badr bin Saud al Busaidy, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs; Sayyid Saud bin Ibrahim al Busaidy, Minister of the Interior; Lt Gen Malik bin Sulaiman al Maamari, Inspector-General of Police and Customs; and Shaikh Mohammed bin Marhoon al Maamari; Sultanate's Ambassador to the UAE. It was attended from the UAE side by officials accompanying the guest. General Shaikh Mohammed arrived earlier in the day. He was received upon arrival at Hafeet border post by Sayyid Ali, Sayyid Badr, Sayyid Saud, Lt Gen Al Maamari, and Shaikh Mohammed. The guest is accompanied during his visit by an official delegation comprising Shaikh Ahmed bin Said al Maktoum, Head of Civil Aviation Department and Chief of Emirates Airline; Dr Mohammed bin Khalfan bin Kharbash, State Minister for Financial Affairs and Industry; Ibrahim Mohammed BuMalhah, Attorney General; Lt Gen Dhahi Khalfan Tameem, Commander General of Dubai Police; Sultan bin Ahmed bin Saleem, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and the Free Zone Establishments; Mohammed bin Abdullah al Qarqawi, Chairman of Dubai Authority for Investment and Development's board; Jumaa al Majid, Chairman of Dubai Economic Council; Maj Gen Saif Abdullah al Shaafar, Interior Ministry Under-Secretary; Maj Gen Musabbah Rashid al Fattan, Director of Office of the Heir Apparent and Defence Minister of UAE; and Abdullah Mohammed al Suwaidi; UAE Ambassador to the Sultanate. Richard Perle one of the Neo Conservative said "the occupation of Iraq was an error: "the United States must have left Iraq after overthrowing Saddam. The occupation has been the great error of Washington, admitted Richard Perle in an interview granted to the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia. He added we have to leave Iraq and leave the authority to the Iraqis. About the Iranian nuclear file he said force does solve all problems, but warned that if Iran continues with its nuclear program then the situation would impose the use of force. Baroness Symons, British Minister of State said: You cannot impose reform on anyone, that has to come from within the region. I've seen an increasing number of people in the region talking about reforms, about the way the economies could be run better, more trading relationships and what could be done in respect of education and civil society, Symons said. We recognise the enormous differences between countries of the region and we do not for one moment think that one size fits all. It doesn't. Baroness Symons confirmed the commitment of the British government, to reach a peaceful solution for the Palestinian Israeli conflict "Achieving a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians is a priority for the British government," Symons said. On the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon Baroness Symons said the withdrawal is implemented according to the UNSC resolution. Ukraine has acknowledged exporting 12 cruise missiles to Iran and six to China amid mounting pressure from other countries to explain how the sales occurred, the Financial Times reported on Friday. It quoted Ukraine's prosecutor-general Svyatoslav Piskun as saying 18 X-55 cruise missiles, also known as Kh-55s or AS-15s, were exported in 2001, although none was exported with the nuclear warheads they were designed to carry. The X-55 had a range of 3,000 km (1,864 miles), enough to put Japan within striking range of the Asian continent or to reach Israel from Iran, said the newspaper, adding Piskun's statement was the first confirmation by a government official of the exports. The leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Spain have jointly called for Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. The statement came after Jacques Chirac of France, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Gerhard Schroeder of Germany and Jose Luis Zapatero of Spain met in Paris. They also insisted there was no contradiction in the EU and Russian stances on Iran's nuclear programme. The EU leaders appear to have refrained from criticising Russia's domestic policies, a BBC correspondent says. Relations between the EU and Russia have been tested over concerns about democracy in Russia and Moscow's involvement in Iran's nuclear programme. But, on Iran, President Jacques Chirac insisted "there is no contradiction between the Russian position and the position that Britain, Germany and France together are negotiating". He said Europe's aim was to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, not to stop countries like Iran from using nuclear power. "Iran must prove that it refuses totally the acquisition of a nuclear weapon," Mr Putin said, also insisting European and Russian positions were the same. The family of Lebanon's missing Shiite Muslim cleric Imam Moussa Sadr says Libya has offered financial compensation for Sadr's disappearance during a visit to the north African Arab country 26 years ago, but the relatives have rejected the money. The court case and the reported compensation offer are the latest twists in a mystery that has for more than a quarter century angered Lebanon's 1.2 million-strong Shiite community and has strained ties between the two countries. Lebanese Shiite political and religious leaders have blamed Libya for Sadr's disappearance. Despite a widely held belief in Lebanon that the imam and his companions were killed, the Sadr family strongly believes he is still alive in a Libyan jail. Libya insists Sadr and his two aides left its territory on a flight to Rome at the end of their visit, and suggests he was a victim of an inter-Shiite power struggle. Their passports reportedly surfaced in Rome during a forgery and impersonation trial late last year and were sent to Lebanon. There was no immediate Libyan comment on the court case or the family's claim that Libya had offered financial compensation. The presiding judge, Soheil Abdul-Samad, made no statement after the court session. The questioning aimed at determining whether to pursue charges against the Libyans, and it was not immediately clear if the process would continue. Lebanon has no jurisdiction or power to enforce its decisions in Libya. But its issuing of a summons shows the importance that Lebanon is attaching to its investigation and its willingness to see ties worsen over the case. Israel armed itself with nuclear weapons 40 years ago to use them against Arab countries if they threaten its existence, one of the officials responsible for Israel's nuclear program said. In an interview with Israel's daily Yediot Aharonot, former science minister Yuval Neeman said that "The Israeli nuclear option had a single aim to demonstrate to the opposing camp that we had the same capacities as it (for) the day when they will have the nuclear option". Israel maintains a policy of ambiguity concerning its nuclear program, neither admitting nor denying that it does posses nuclear weapons. But foreign experts believe that it used its Dimona reactor to build about 200 nuclear warheads that could be carried by medium or short-range missiles. The former science minister, who was also a top military intelligence officer, said: "We were convinced that Arab states would not hesitate to make use of the nuclear option against us" once they develop nuclear bomb. "Never did we see this option as a way to get results which more conventional methods would have enabled us to attain," North Korea should return to talks aimed at creating a nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula as a step toward ending that country's international isolation and improving the lives of its people, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said March 20. In February, North Korea announced it had nuclear weapons and was abandoning talks with South Korea, Russia, China, Japan and the United States -- commonly referred to as the Six-Party Talks -- aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has much to gain through the negotiations, Rice said in an interview with KBS TV in Seoul, South Korea. "The North Koreans have been told by the president of the United States, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and now by myself that we have no intention to attack North Korea or invade North Korea," she said. "The six parties are prepared to give the North Koreans security assurances in the context of the Six-Party Talks. There is an offer on the table to review North Korea's energy needs. We, the United States, have been one of the largest humanitarian assistance donors to North Korea we don't link our humanitarian assistance to what is going on in the Six-Party Talks, but it shows we care for the North Korean people." The United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia all have called for resumption of the talks, Rice said. "There's a lot on the table if the North Koreans want to respond," Rice said in another interview in Seoul with MBC TV. The two-year anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq has witnessed relatively small anti-war demonstrations across the United States, the New York Times reported. The American crowds ranged from 350 in Times Square in New York to several thousands in San Francisco. Under the banners of a broad coalition of antiwar groups, including United for Peace and Justice and the War Resisters League, the protests were part of a weekend of marches, rallies, prayer gathering, candle-light vigils, hip-hop concerts and other events to mark the 2nd anniversary of the war's start. The protesters included families with small children, students, professional and working people, veterans and families of service personnel, religious groups and many middle-aged and older people. In contrast to the vociferous rage of demonstrations two years ago, the protests were mostly sombre and low-key, with marchers carrying cardboard coffins in silence to the beat of funeral drums, with ally speaker alluding often to the war dead and subdued crowds keeping behind police barriers. No serious injuries or clashes between demonstrators and the police were reported although insults were exchanged by protesters and counter protesters. Three dozen people were arrested in New York for blocking traffic or doorways at military recruiting centers. Beyond New York and San Francisco, protests were unfolded in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego and what organizers said were 725 other cities and smaller American towns, places like Evergreen, Colo., where 13 people turned out to confront their neighbours with peace signs, and Algoma, Sis., where eight people attended a "Bring Home the Troops" demonstration. In communities large and small, the message was the same: End an unjust war that has killed more than 1,500 Americans and thousands of Iraqis, that has cost hundreds of billions of dollars and left American with frayed alliances and ugly images as occupiers and torturers. Tens of thousands of people have marched through central London, the second anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, calling on Tony Blair to get his troops out of the country. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Italy would begin withdrawing its 3,000 troops from Iraq in September. Some 10,000 people marched through the centre of Rome, waving anti-war banners and protesting against the Italian troop presence in Iraq. Protesters also marched in Madrid and Barcelona. In Turkey, about 10,000 protesters attended a rally in Istanbul, and smaller demonstrations were held in Ankara and Izmir. A ceremony was held at Ibri wilayat, under the auspices of Sheikh Hilal bin Khalid Al Ma'awali, minister of civil service, to present Sultan Qaboos cups to the winners of the 20th contest of the Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources Month. The ceremony was attended by ministers, members of the Council of State and Majlis Al Shura, government officials and directors of companies participating in the contest. The wilayat of Ibri yesterday hosted the 20th Municipalities Month for Sultan Qaboos' Cup award ceremony organised by the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources. Trophies and shields of the ministry were given to a number of wilayats and industrial establishements and individuals as a token for the winners of the competition organised by the ministry. The ceremony was presided over by Sheikh Hilal bin Khalid Al Ma'awali, minister of civil service, in the presence of Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Rowas, minister of regional municipalities, environment and water resources, other ministers, members of the State Council and the Majlis Al Shura representing the Al Dahirah region, walis and other dignitaries. The wilayat of Ibri won the HM's Cup in the first position and were also given cash prizes. The second position was won by the wilayat of Nizwa followed by the wilayats of Liwa, Barka, Buraimi, respectively. A total of 27 municipalities were felicitated by awarding cash prizes and certificates of appreciation and six municipalities were given away ministry's shields with cash prizes. A total of 137 persons from the private sector were honoured for their contribution to the contest for the year 2004. Industrial establishments and individuals who were on the ministry's winners list were also honoured. Hamad bin Sulaiman Al Ghuraibi, undersecretary at the ministry of regional municipalities, delivered a welcome speech. Sheikh Abdullah bin Mustahil Shimas, wali of Ibri, in his speech congratulated all local citizens and the officials in the government and private sectors on their efforts. He hailed the citizens for their social works and implementing a number of projects in the wilayat. Salem bin Humaid Al Badawi, Abdulrahim bin Zayed Al Junaibi, and Fahad bin Saif Al Manthri recited poems, expressing joy on the event. The poetry session was followed by an art show in which 250 male and female students participated. The art show included folk dances and songs known in the wilayat. The show also included some tableaux featuring the heritage and culture of Oman and the Renaissance era. Sultan Qaboos has sent a cable of greetings to President Zine al Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia on his country's independence anniversary. The Sultan wished the president good health, happiness and a long life and the Tunisian people further progress and prosperity. |