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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (file)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners March 4, 2007 |
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Contradictory to a report by Saudi Arabia's official news agency, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not show support for an Arab peace initiative during his recent meeting with Saudi officials, declared one of the president's representatives.
"During the summit, no discussions were held in this regard," said the representative, Ehsan Jahandideh, to the Iranian news agency, IRNA.
The Saudi Press Agency issued a report Sunday claiming that the Iranian president had mentioned being in favor of the peace initiative.
The initiative in question was adopted in 2002 at an Arab summit in Beruit. Under the peace plan, Arab countries are asked to regularize their relations with Israel in return for Israel's withdrawal from Arab territories captured during the 1967 Six Day War.
Ahmadinejad arrived in Riyadh for his first official trip to Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the trip was to discuss the situation in Lebanon and Iraq, and Iran's nuclear program.
President Ahmadinejad and King Abdullah also discussed the threat of sectarian conflict in the Middle East and the great importance of Palestinian unity.
The Saudi Press Agency reported, "The two leaders asserted that the greatest danger threatening the Muslim nation at the present time is the attempt to spread strife between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and that efforts should be exerted to stop such attempts and close ranks."
"Saudi and Iranian analysts said cooperation will benefit both countries, as well as the whole region. Shiite-majority Iran and Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia are on different sides of the two conflicts that are threatening to ignite the Middle East - Iraq and Lebanon - and the Saudis have expressed concerns over Iran's nuclear program," reported the Associated Press.
Lebanese editor Ghassan Sharbil of the Saudi-owned Al-Hayat daily agreed:
"Ahmadinejad can invest in this summit to calm down the Arab world, the Islamic world and the whole globe in order to protect Iran against isolation, the dangers of an American strike and a new resolution by the Security Council." |
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