Abdullah, Cheney Review Ties

RIYADH, 6 August 2005 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has been invited to visit the US by Vice President Dick Cheney.

King Abdullah also held a meeting with Cheney at his farm in Janadriyadh, near Riyadh, during which the two leaders reviewed their bilateral relations, and the situations in Palestine and Iraq as well as issues that came to the forefront during the Saudi-US summit at President George W. Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Cheney’s meeting capped the visit of the high-level delegation he led to the Saudi capital, where he extended condolences to King Abdullah on the demise of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and to congratulate King Abdullah on his accession to the throne.

The US delegation also included former President George Bush, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They also called on Crown Prince Sultan.

Saudi television showed Cheney and Bush embracing King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan at the king’s farm. Following their talks, they left the capital and were seen off at King Khaled International Airport by Riyadh Deputy Governor Prince Sattam.

“Right now, our main focus is on continuing the good work that we’ve done with the Saudi government and moving forward in our relationship under the new Saudi leadership,” Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, said earlier.

It was again a day of high-profile visits that featured delegations led by King Juan Carlos of Spain and Australian Governor General Michael Jeffrey. Another VIP visitor was Lakhdar Brahimi, special envoy of the UN secretary-general. They mourned the loss of King Fahd and hailed the accession of King Abdullah to the throne.

Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik will be arriving here today for a meeting with King Abdullah. He will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Bendt Bendtsen, who is also the economics and business minister.

These visiting dignitaries were among the latest in a stream of world figures who have flocked to Saudi Arabia to offer condolences on the death of King Fahd on Monday, and congratulate the new king, who as crown prince had been running the state affairs since 1995, when the late King Fahd suffered a stroke.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prince Charles were among the foreign dignitaries who visited the capital on Wednesday.

Former US President George Bush and the late King Fahd had forged an alliance during the 1991 Gulf War in which a US-led international coalition drove the invading Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.

Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt said in his condolence message that he was saddened by the death of King Fahd as the world, particularly the Arab and Islamic world, had lost a great leader.

He said King Fahd championed Arab and Islamic causes, especially the Palestinian issue. He was confident that King Abdullah would follow in his brother’s footsteps.

Prince Musab ibn Saud, adviser at the Interior Ministry, said the large turnout of people to swear their allegiance to King Abdullah reflected the country’s unity. He said the world lost a great leader following the death of King Fahd, in whose reign Saudi Arabia made great strides in every area of development.