The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has underlined the importance of strengthening and developing relations with the EU in all fields. The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the European Union Ambassador Saad Al-Arifi said during the dialogue session with the Arabian Peninsula Relations Mission in the European Parliament in Brussels that long-term relations are binding the Kingdom and the Gulf States with the European Union since 1967 and that there is a strong convergence on a range of issues, based on mutual respect and common desire to continue these ties at a number of levels. He further said that "We have emphasized the deepening of this ties by establishing our mission to the European Union, promoting our bilateral discussions, enhancing interpersonal contacts as well as building bridges between Saudi society and European societies," --More 22:36 LOCAL TIME 19:36 GMT 0014 www.spa.gov.sa/1999053
