Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki Al-Faisal bin Abdul-aziz has called for strengthening the strategic cooperation between the two countries and enhancing the cultural dialogue. In an address at the Military Academy in Carlyle, Pennsylvania, he pointed out to the joint responsibility of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to spread peace and stability in several parts of the world such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the Arab-Israeli conflict. As regards Iraq, Prince Turki Al-Faisal said that the Kingdom has worked hard to guarantee the success of the U.S. campaign there and it has provided Iraq with humanitarian aid and a field hospital. "The Kingdom has also helped in the efforts to reconcile Iraqi warring factions." Commenting on Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Prince Turki Al-Faisal affirmed the importance of achieving a peaceful solution that would help the Palestinians establish their own country. In this regard, he said that the United States is the only country which can play a fundamental role in resolving this conflict, and that it has to continue its efforts to bring about disengagement in Gaza and the West Bank. In this context, he assured that the Kingdom will continue to provide the (necessary) help. With regard to Afghanistan, he affirmed the importance of supporting the establishment of a national government and scheduling the disarmament of militias. Prince Turki Al-Faisal also called for strengthening further the bilateral relations and said the Saudi-American strategic dialogue "aims at promoting coordination in resolving political and strategic issues." He said the dialogue would facilitate Saudi-American cooperation in countering terrorism, adding that terrorism is a joint threat to the two countries. Prince Turki Al-Faisal emphasized the importance of dialogue between the kingdom and the United States through exchange of information and education.
