Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak received in Cairo on Tuesday Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister.
In a statement to the media following the reception, Prince Saud said in response to a question on the recent Israeli attack on Gaza, "The acts of (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon are known to be against peace."
"The Israeli people are the great losers and the history will record these acts against the innocents, which have no moral, human and military justifications. These acts underline the necessity of taking strict steps. We are not going to stand with our hands tied," he made clear, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. He added that, "the new Arab stance is that the Arab countries are taking the reins of the matters in their hands and do not depend on others in their decision-making process."
The Foreign Minister said that the Arab efforts would continue within the set goals that are based on the latest Arab summit, which took place in Beirut.
Prince Saud, who arrived in Cairo from Syria and Lebanon, said he briefed Syrian and Lebanese officials on the outcome of his recent diplomatic contacts and on last week's " quartet " meeting over the Middle East conflict in New York, which was attended by senior officials from the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, SPA added.
Prince Saud left the Egyptian capital following his brief visit. He was seen off at the airport by his Egyptian counterpart Ahmad Maher and Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Ibrahim Al-Saad Al-Ibrahim. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
