VICE-CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AND VISITING BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENSE DESMOND BROWNE HELD AN OFFICIAL ROUND OF TALKS AT PRINCE SULTAN'S PALACE IN RIYADH TONIGHT. AT THE OUTSET OF THE MEETING, PRINCE SULTAN EXPRESSED WELCOME OF THE MINISTER AND HIS ACCOMPANYING DELEGATION, WISHING THEM GOOD STAY IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA. IN THE NAME OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES AND IN THE NAME OF THE ARMED FORCES, I HEREBY WELCOME YOU, HE SAID, ADDING THAT SAUDI BRITISH COOPERATION PROCEEDS AS PLANNED, CITING THE ARMAMENT AND ECONOMIC OFFSET PROGRAM. ON HIS PART, THE BRITISH MINISTER CONVEYED IN A SIMILAR SPEECH THE GREETINGS OF BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR TO THE SAUDI LEADERSHIP, NOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. HE THANKED THE VICE-CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES FOR WARM WELCOME AND GENEROUS HOSPITALITY. HE HINTED THAT HIS CURRENT VISIT COMES WITHIN THE GOOD TIES BINDING THE TWO COUNTRIES. THE TALKS COVERED THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AT THE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARENAS, NOTABLY THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE AND THE SITUATION IN IRAQ IN ADDITION TO ASPECTS OF BILATERAL COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO FRIENDLY COUNTRIES AND WAYS OF ENHANCING THEM. ON THE SAUDI SIDE, THE TALKS WERE ATTENDED BY PRINCE ABDULRAHMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION AND INSPECTOR GENERAL; PRINCE KHALID BIN SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, ASSISTANT MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION AND INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR MILITARY AFFAIRS; AND SENIOR OFFICERS. ON THE BRITISH SIDE, THE TALKS WERE ATTENDED BY THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA WILLIAM PATTI AND OTHER SENIOR DIPLOMATS.
