|
|
June 17, 2005 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, have sent a cable of thanks to the GCC Ministers of Commerce in reply to the cable sent by them at the end of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministers of Commerce 32nd meeting in which they fixed the 1st of March as GCC States consumer protection day and approved amendments of some articles of the trade mark law. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince have also sent cables to the GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al Attiya in reply to his message sent to the King and the Crown Prince at the end of the GCC consultative summit meeting. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Russia's President Vladimir Putin on the anniversary of his country's National Day. The Monarch wished the President continuous good health and happiness and his people steady progress and prosperity. King Fahd also hailed the existing relations between the two friendly countries. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Portugal's President Jorge Sampaio on the anniversary of his country's National Day. The Monarch wished the President continuous good health and happiness and his people steady progress and prosperity. King Fahd also hailed the existing strong relations between the two friendly countries. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein on the occasion of his ascension to the throne. The Monarch wished the Jordanian King permanent good health and happiness and his people steady progress and prosperity. King Fahd praised close relations binding the two countries and their peoples. Similar cables of congratulations were also sent to the Jordanian King by 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. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at the Royal Court at Al Yamamah palace in Riyadh the General Mufti of the Kingdom Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Al Al Sheikh, who is also Chairman of the Senior Ulema Commission and Religious Research Department and Ifta; Sheikh Salih Ibn Mohammed Al-Lihaidan, Chief of Higher Judiciary Council and other Ulema and sheikhs who came to greet him. The audience was attended by Prince Khalid Ibn Musaed Ibn Abdul Rahman; Prince Naif Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor at the Crown Prince's Court, and senior protocol officials. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at the Royal Court at Al Yamamah palace in Riyadh the Director General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization Dr. Alminje Busnainah. At the outset of the meeting, Busnainah thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for supporting AlECSO's programs and activities. The audience was attended by Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Advisor at the Crown Prince's Court, Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor at the Crown Prince's Court, Dr. Abdullah Ibn Salih Alobaid, Minister of Education; and senior protocol officials. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received a telephone call from President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal who requested to be assured about the health of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz. During the conversation, the crown prince reassured President Wade about the good health of the king, thanking the Senegalese president for his noble feelings. They also discussed the fraternal relations between the two countries and latest developments at the regional and international arenas. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard has sent a reply cable of thanks to Prince Faisal bin Bandar Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Qassim Region and its citizens for their good feelings spelt out following the issuance of an order to allocate SR 2 billion of the budget surplus to peoples' housing in the Kingdom's regions. In his cable, the Crown Prince said, " This is our duty towards the religion, homeland and Kingdom's citizens,'' and he wished the Governor all success to serve the religion and the homeland. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at the Royal Court at Al-Yamamah palace Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Kuwaiti Prime Minister conveyed to Crown Prince Abdullah the greetings of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah and Vice Emir and Crown Prince Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah. In turn, Crown Prince Abdullah sent his greetings to them. They also discussed developments at the Gulf, Arab, Islamic and international arenas, aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of their enhancement in all fields. The audience was attended Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General and a number of princes and officials. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of defense and aviation and Inspector General received Swedish ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ake Karlsson. During the meeting, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed issues of mutual interest. Meanwhile, Prince Sultan also received today Dr Al-munjee Bousnina, the Director General of The Arab Organization for education, sciences and culture. They discussed issues in the spheres of education, sciences and culture. The meeting was attended by Education Minister Dr Abdullah Al-Obeid. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General and Chairman of Food and Drugs Authority chaired at his office in Riyadh the corporation's Board of Directors 5th meeting. The meeting was discussed matters on the agenda including the Authority's recent achievements and preparations for an international symposium on food and drug control scheduled for next year. The meeting was attended by Prince Mit'eb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior, ministers and officials. Interior Minister Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz chaired a meeting of the Supreme Hajj Committee and urged all government departments and private organizations involved in the Hajj operations to improve their services to pilgrims. Prince Naif commended the committee's performance during the last Hajj season. "It was a successful Hajj season by all standards and hope we could maintain that level in order to extend the best possible services to the guests of God." The committee, which comprises 11 ministers and other top officials, discussed the Kingdom's Hajj strategy for the coming years in the light of relevant studies and research works. Prince Naif emphasized the need for achieving continuous progress in Hajj services, matching with the Kingdom's position as the cradle of Islam. The meeting looked into the recommendations of the Central Hajj Committee and took a number of important decisions. Municipal and Rural Affairs Minister Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Governor of Makkah region Prince Abdul Majeed Ibn Abdul Aziz and Governor of Madinah region Prince Meqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz attended the meeting. Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Hajj Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsi and Transportation Minister Dr. Jabara Al-Seraisry also attended. Under the directives of Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister and General Supervisor of the Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People, an amount of SR 8,715,000 has been transferred to the United Nations Development Program. Dr. Saed Al-Harthi, the Interior Minister's Advisor and the Chairman of the Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People said the finance represents the second tranche of agreements signed between the Committee and the program to implement projects in Palestine. Prince Ahmed Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of the Interior has stressed that any person who seizes lands by force will be prosecuted. Prince Ahmed patronized the graduation ceremony of 10 qualification courses comprising 1326 cadets held by Public Security Training City in Makkah Region. After the educational event, he told reporters the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is doing very well and stressed that he is in good health. Prince Ahmed added that the government has been follows up the affairs of Saudi prisoners in Guantanamo bay and hopes that this case will be over soon. Answering a question about the names of new wanted people and whether they will be announced Prince Ahmed said there is no need for making such announcement and any person proven to have links with the deviant group will be punished. Prince Ahmed said praised members of the security forces adding that training sessions will be opened for graduates of secondary schools. He also added that projects to improve Jeddah will be announced soon. The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Eng. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi met with Norway's Minister of Energy Thorhild Widvey. During the meeting, they discussed ways of developing the world oil market and the importance of cooperation among oil producers from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries for the stability of the world oil market. In a press statement, Al-Naimi stressed that the Kingdom has been linked with Norway in continual, close and bilateral oil cooperation on various oil issues as Norway is considered one of the most important oil producers and the third largest oil exporter in the world. The meeting was attended by a number of Saudi oil officials. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1559, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said. In a statement issued by the spokesman, Annan said he was encouraged by what his Special Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen briefed in Paris. Roed-Larsen, who has just returned from Syria where he met with President Bashar el-Assad, had constructive and helpful discussions with the Syrian President, Eckhard said. According to the spokesman, Roed-Larsen will continue working together with President Assad, the Syrian government and other parties for the full implementation of Security Council resolution1559. Annan decided on last Friday to send a UN verification team back to Lebanon to see if Syrian intelligence agents are still in the country. The Secretary General of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Conference Akmaluddin Ihsan Oglu lauded the support rendered by the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz for the OIC, recalling that late King Faisal Ibn Abdul Aziz has exerted strenuous efforts to have the idea of the organization become reality. In a press conference to mark the end of his two-day visit to Tunisia, Oglu disclosed that work is currently underway to establish the permanent headquarters of the organization in Jeddah the foundation of stone of which will be laid during the convening of the forthcoming Islamic summit. He said his visit to Tunisia comes within the endeavor to seek support for the reforms of the OIC. He said the OIC has a tough agenda to deal with, citing the situations in Afghanistan, Cyprus, and Iraq, desecration of the holy Quran in Israeli jails and Guantanamo prison, and Alquds issue. He added that a number of economic, social and political issues remain to be discussed at the forthcoming OIC foreign ministers conference in Sanaa, Yemen. He cited the representation of the Islamic nation in the United Nations Security Council, and the reforms of the OIC from within and through its member states. Oglu disclosed that the Islamic nations have extended assistance worth more than $1.3 billion for the Tsunami victims. The 10th Regional Congress of al-Baath Arab Socialist Party reelected President Bashar al-Assad as the Regional Secretary of the Baath Party. This has come during the congress final session of four day deliberations at the Umayyad Palace for Conferences in Damascus. The Congress approved reports and recommendations presented on the table of discussions after they were ratified by the political, economic and organizational committees. Among the most prominent to leave was Vice President Abd al-Halim Khaddam. Other senior officials who left the party are General Mustapha Tlas, Mustapha Miro, who headed a cabinet in 2000-2004, ex-Speaker of parliament Abd al-Qadir Qaddura, who had presided over parliament in 1987-2003, the assistant secretary general of the Ba'ath, Abdullah al-Ahmar, Syria's old vice president, Zuhayr Masharka. A few familiar faces will remain. They include Naji al-Otari, and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara. Newcomers to the party leadership who are familiar faces in Syria are Defense Minister Hasan Turkmani and Mahmud al-Abrash, the Speaker of parliament, who replaces former Speaker Qaddura. The German and French leaders have urged EU nations to continue ratifying the constitution despite the "No" votes in France and the Netherlands. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and President Jacques Chirac voiced their position after meeting in Berlin. Meanwhile, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said the bloc must not fall into paralysis despite the setbacks. He urged EU leaders to "turn a crisis into an opportunity". German government spokesman Bela Anda said that the chancellor and President Chirac "were in agreement that the constitutional process must continue so that the views of each country are respected". "We cannot drop the idea of Europe because there are difficulties," he added, the Associated Press news agency reported. Meanwhile, his French counterpart Jerome Bonnafont said the talks "demonstrated a profound unity of views on what has happened in Europe and what must happen going forward". Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, deputy prime minister for the council of ministers, has said the royal gesture of pardoning 31 citizens convicted of membership of a banned secret organisation is further unquestionable proof of the Omani leadership's benevolence and compassion despite the gravity of the offence. Sayyid Fahd was making a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA) and the local media on the royal amnesty. Sultan Qaboos bin Said pardoned the 31 citizens. All the 31 citizens were sentenced to jail terms, ranging from 1 year to 20 years, on May 2 by the State Security Court. The royal gesture gives the prisoners a chance to turn a new leaf and recommit themselves to work within society, which today enjoys the fruits of justice, while its members are resolute in their desire to advance the developmental process to the highest levels of progress, prosperity and stability, Sayyid Fahd said. Asked about the moral lessons to be derived from this royal pardon, Sayyid Fahd said the Omani way of handling such developments is unique because it is based on the country's deep-rooted traditions which date back into time. "Mistakes that some people commit against this society, deliberately or otherwise, are totally unacceptable. However, from the outset, this case was handled in a civilised manner, in keeping with the norms and good reputation of this country. Therefore, all are required to benefit from these lessons and work together to achieve a fruitful future for the coming generations, a future based on the promise of further growth and prosperity for all," Sayyid Fahd said. The Sultanate, he added, exists for all Omanis who live on this pure, benign land. There is no distinction made between one citizen and another, save by his efforts and sacrifices in serving the supreme interests of this country. Asked how he perceives this case in the backdrop of today's changing world, Sayyid Fahd noted that in today's changing global scenario, characterised by continuously emerging events, every country has to adapt to these developments that are being manifest on the international arena, or risk losing the opportunity to achieve their aspirations to progress and prosperity. "Thanks to the Almighty, this peaceful Muslim country, which is determined "to pursue the path of prosperity" and development, has maintained its distinctive entity and achieved the balance it aspires for, with the will of God, the prudence of its leader and the sacrifices of its people," Sayyid Fahd stressed. President Bush left open the possibility that the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could be shut down. "We're exploring all alternatives as to how best to do the main objective, which is to protect America," Bush told Fox News Channel's Neil Cavuto in an interview. Former President Carter said at a human rights conference that closing the prison would demonstrate the U.S. commitment to human rights at a time when Washington's reputation has suffered because of reports of prisoner abuses from Guantanamo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Amnesty International has branded the facility the "the gulag of our time," which Bush dismissed again Wednesday. "It's just absurd to equate Gitmo and Guantanamo with a Soviet gulag," he said. "Just not even close." Bush said the Guantanamo detainees are being treated in accordance with international standards and that any allegations of mistreatment are fully investigated. He defended the policy of holding enemy combatants. "It's in our nation's interest that we learn a lot about those people that are still in detention, because we're still trying to find out how to better protect our country," he said. "What we don't want to do is let somebody out that comes back and harms us." British forces could begin pulling out of one southern Iraqi province as early as this year, said Lt. Col. Andrew Williams, the senior commander. "In three or four months, we could begin withdrawing from Maysan province," Col. Williams, 43, said during an interview at his headquarters at Camp Abu Naji near Al Amarah, 100 miles north of Basrah and home to more than 1,000 soldiers with Britain's Coldstream Guards and Royal Hussars regiments. Col. Williams called the security situation in Maysan "serious," but added that local forces are on track to take over security this year. Officers at Britain's Permanent Joint Headquarters, which oversees all deployed British forces, said there is no schedule for drawing down British forces in Iraq. "Conditions determine when [British] forces withdraw," said Maj. David Steel, a British army spokesman. "We're in this for the long term." But Col. Williams said Britain cannot be in a position of occupying Iraq over the long term. "You've got to get to a state in this country where you start handing it back to the Iraqi people. We're not going anywhere unless it's agreed upon by the Iraqi government. [However,] they clearly don't want us here forever." Asked whether a British withdrawal would allow Maysan to become a haven for terrorists, Col. Williams said, "That's crystal ball gazing." Saudi Arabia has been elected to the board of directors of the International Labor Organization (ILO). In elections held in Geneva, the Kingdom got 230 votes. The ILO board has 56 members, 10 of them permanent and the rest elected every three years. The Under Secretary of the Ministry of Labor for Laborers' Affairs and the Head of the Saudi delegation, Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, told SPA that the Kingdom was keen to apply all agreements with regard to labor and always participates in labor conferences. He added that it is a matter of pride for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to fulfil such a post, representing the delegation of governments in the ILO. French journalist Florence Aubenas has arrived in France after five months of captivity in Iraq. President Jacques Chirac was among those waiting to greet her. Ms Aubenas, 44, is said to be in good health. Appearing relaxed and happy after landing at an airport near Paris, she said she was "feeling good". The journalist was freed along with her interpreter, Hussein Hanoun al-Saadi. The two were seized on 5 January in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Mr Saadi has been reunited with his family in Baghdad. Ms Aubenas is a senior correspondent who has covered many of the world's hot spots in more than 18 years with Liberation. The journalist and her interpreter were abducted as they left their hotel. The Sultanate of Oman and China pledged to further enhance bilateral relations in various fields, with the visiting Chinese delegation showing interest in joint ventures. China will invest in the Sultanate in oil, petrochemicals, road construction, training Omani cadres and fishing. Chinese companies would seek to transfer high technology and its products to the Omani side, in addition to upgrading the efficiency of oil extraction. The Sultanate and China signed an oil agreement to provide the latter with Omani oil. The pact was signed by Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Romhi, oil and gas minister, and the deputy general manager of the Chinese company for chemical industries. Romhi said as per the pact, which complements previous agreements signed between the two sides, Oman would provide China with oil. He said China is one of the main importers of Omani oil. An official Palestinian report condemned the Israeli practices against Muslims holy sites in the Palestinian territories. The report which was presented to the UN office in Amman says that Israeli authorities have throughout last year have demolished 1215 mosques in the lands occupied on 1948 and have transformed tens of mosques into leisure centers. The report stressed that the continuous aggressions against mosques in occupied Palestine are against international law and regulations and called on the United Nations to interfere to stop the continuous aggressions in the occupied territories. The Foreign Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has issued advisories to Saudi travellers on annual summer vacations abroad aiming at protecting, caring and achieving maximum comfort, stability and security for them, Ambassador Ibrahim Ibn Omar Al-Kharashi, the Ministry's Undersecretary for Consular Affairs announced. He pointed out that the Foreign Minister has issued his directives to all Saudi ambassadors and Consuls abroad to exert all efforts to continually protect and provide care for Saudi citizens. To aware the citizens, a Traveler Guide and a Visitor Guide have been issued, he said and called on Saudi travelers to contact in need the nearest embassy or consulate. |