Khaddam earthquake hangs over the summit of Abdullah, Mubarak
Mubarak and Abdullah discuss the Syrian crisis
During the summit between King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, discussions revolved around the Syrian crisis and its implications. The leaders focused on developments in the Arab arena, particularly the Palestinian issue, the situation in Iraq, and events in the Islamic and international spheres. The two countries also explored possibilities for cooperation, aiming to support and enhance bilateral relations across various sectors for the benefit of their respective peoples.
An Egyptian source described the ongoing talks between President Mubarak, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Sultan as primarily addressing efforts to improve the relationship between Syria and Lebanon. Another key topic was Damascus’s cooperation with the International Commission of Inquiry investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The current visit follows the recent bomb detonation incident involving Abdel Halim Khaddam, former Syrian Vice President, and its subsequent developments, including the request from the international commission to meet with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara. A diplomatic source in Cairo stated that Damascus has displayed full cooperation and understanding of the evolving situation. The source expects Egypt and Saudi Arabia to continue playing a bridging role due to their positive relations with both Syria and the United States.
In recent times, diplomatic sources have mentioned a joint initiative discussed by Cairo, Riyadh, and the American administration, along with Paris, aimed at easing pressure on Syria. As part of this initiative, Syria made several commitments, including full cooperation with the international investigation team. Riyadh played a crucial role in persuading Damascus to allow its officials to be interrogated outside the country. Additionally, Syria pledged to undertake political reforms, cooperate in border control with Iraq, regulate the activities of radical Palestinian factions based in Syria, and address the sensitive issue of Hezbollah by refraining from providing them with weapons or ammunition