Riyadh, Sep 19(Arab News): Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom has set forth a new vision of their relationship with the two countries working closely on a range of bilateral subjects and regional issues affecting the Middle East countries.
It comes as Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, undertakes a crucial five-day visit to the Kingdom beginning Monday.
British Ambassador Sir Tom Phillips said on Sunday that the UK has maintained a dialogue with Saudi Arabia, a key strategic partner in the region.
The envoy gave an overview of Saudi-British ties with special reference to the regional political unrest and the UK's position on Palestine, Iran, Syria and Libya.
He also spoke about a major Haj Exhibition to be staged at the British Museum early next year. To this end, Phillips pointed out that the UK had signed an agreement with the Riyadh-based King Abdulaziz Public Library, which has a collection of old rare Haj photos and documents besides European printed books. The library has also 113 books containing old European translations of the Holy Qu’ran, 55 books on Qu’ranic studies and 54 works dealing with Islamic sources.
Phillips said Prince Andrew would be accompanied by Lord Green, British minister of state for trade and investment. He pointed out that he would attend meetings and events during his stay between Sept. 19 to Sept. 23, while Lord Green will wrap up his visit on Sept 21. “The main purpose of their trip is to strengthen UK-Saudi trade and investment relations,” said Phillips.
The ambassador said: “I am delighted to welcome His Royal Highness and Lord Green to Saudi Arabia. Their visit provides further evidence of the strong relationship forged between our two countries. Business ties between the UK and Saudi Arabia are a crucial part of that relationship and I am sure this visit will help to enhance prosperity and opportunity for both countries over the years to come.”
Asked about the British position on regional issues especially Palestine, he said “the UK's commitment to a sustainable two-state solution had been there for long time.”
“The UK has long been clear that peace in the Middle East, enabling a resolution of the long-running dispute between Palestinians and Israel, has enormous importance for global and regional security,” he said.
Phillips said events in the wider Middle East call for redoubling of international efforts to support peace, stability and democracy. “Nowhere is this need more pressing than in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he added.
On Syria, he said that the UK together with the Gulf states including the Kingdom had called on President Assad to stop the violence and step aside so that credible reform could begin. The EU, he said, had adopted a range of measures against the Syrian regime including a ban on Syrian oil products recently.
Asked about the efforts of the EU countries together with UK to defuse the crisis in Yemen, Phillips said Western countries had supported the GCC peace initiative.
“We are working with all sides and diplomatic allies to ensure that the Yemeni political crisis is resolved as soon as possible,” said the British diplomat, while referring to the recent Yemeni presidential decree authorizing his deputy to sign the peace deal.
“We want the peace deal to be signed quickly with the aim of holding presidential elections before the end of 2011,” said the envoy. On the question of Libya, he said that the UK has welcomed the UN Security Council's unanimous adoption of resolution 2009 and the UN General Assembly vote to allow the Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) to take Libya's seat at the UN.