The international community should accept whomever the Palestinians choose as their next leader, Saudi Arabia said Wednesday, seeking clarifications on Bush's Mideast policy speech.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal spoke to reporters.
In Saudi Arabia's first public comments on the speech, Prince Saud said his country would seek clarifications from the United States on how certain parts of the initiative were to be implemented.
The comments were echoed by Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.
"We do not reject the plan, as we see in it positive points and others that need more talks with the United States," Moussa said in Cairo, Egypt. Those points included the timing for establishing a Palestinian state and its status at the United Nations.
The Saudi government said it received a summary of Bush's speech two hours before he gave it. "When the elections happen in the Palestinian territories it is the Palestinians themselves who will choose their leader in a democratic fashion. Only the Palestinians can choose their own leaders," the Saudi prince said. "Whoever they choose should be acceptable to the international community."
The Saudi official expressed his hope that Bush's new initiative would finally bring about peace in the region so that the Palestinian people can live in freedom, AP reported. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
