WASHINGTON: As part of its official visit to the United States, a Shoura Council delegation, led by Engineer Osama Muhammad Kurdi, Chairman of the Saudi American Parliamentary Friendship Committee, met here with a number of Congressmen. The two sides discussed issues of common interest and reviewed aspects of joint cooperation to serve the interests of the two countries. The talks also touched on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the Shoura and the Congress. In an address Al-Kurdi said, “The Kingdom is considered a strategic country to the entire world and not only to the US. Its political and economic weight stems from the judicious policies of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. It is also the cradle of Islam.” He said the Kingdom has made major investments in the interests of its people, including in infrastructure and private sector job creation initiatives. It has also spent heavily on education by sending its people on scholarships to prestigious universities in various parts of the world. This stems from the belief that education and knowledge are essential elements for a nation's progress and prosperity. Al-Kurdi said the development and reform policies have been in place since 1993. A number of committee members also expressed their views on the US-Saudi relationship. Engineer Muhammad Bin Abdullah Al-Qewahis stressed the deep rooted and historic relations between the two friendly countries and hoped it would continue on all levels. He also stressed the importance of fighting terrorism and ensuring peace. He laid emphasis on the importance of finding a lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict to achieve stability and peace in the region. He said the Palestinian people are currently being oppressed. Dr. Abdullah BinYahya Bukhari said he believed the Saudi-American relationship will remain strong. He added that thousands of Saudis studying in America are serving as ambassadors for their country. Dr. Saud Bin Humaid Al-Subai said the Kingdom is one of the countries most affected by terrorism but the country's rulers have taken successful action against it. Islam, which is the Kingdom's constitution, rejects all forms of terrorism and violence, he said. The delegation also held a meeting with senior national security advisors at the Congress to discuss the best way to strengthen parliamentary relations between the Shoura and Congress. Following this the delegation visited the Congress Library and held a meeting with the members of the American National Conference for International Legislators and discussed ways to improve the efficiency of legislative councils.
