Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat- The United States of America will release 16 Saudi detainees from Guantanamo Bay during the next few days, revealed Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal currently on a visit in the US.
In a press interview with U.S. media in Washington on Wednesday, he said that the Kingdom will interrogate those detainees upon arrival in the Kingdom, set free those whose charges are not proven and refers others to the judiciary authority.
On Iran’s nuclear file, he hoped that a diplomatic solution will be reached, noting that Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states will dispatch over the next few days Oman’s foreign minister to meet Iranian officials to discuss the matter. He also hoped that Iran joins the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and GCC states to make the Middle East free from nuclear weapons.
Prince Saud hoped that Iran plays a positive role in supporting Iraq’s territorial integrity and stability.
As regards the Palestinian issue, the Prince said that the Kingdom believes that the policy of suspending aid to Palestinians is wrong, promotes extremism and changes stands of a popular base supporting the peace process.
In its recent meeting in Brussels, Belgium, the Middle East Peace Process Quartet has reached a mechanism to deliver aid to the Palestinians, he said and hoped that this mechanism will be effective and prompt in delivering the aid to the needy areas in the Palestinian territories.
Prince Saud emphasized the importance of dialogue with the Palestinian government as the only possible way to convince it to change its position towards the peace process.
He noted that there is a new start with the new government that should be exploited before it takes fixed positions that will be difficult to deal with. He also indicated that the Palestinian government has announced its readiness to commit to a cease fire for a long period as peace negotiations continue.
Expressing concern over the plan announced by Israel for withdrawal from some Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Prince Saud stated that it only leads to detract attention from the Road Map peace plan and the Arab Peace Initiative proposed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, then Crown Prince, in 2002 and later adopted by Beirut Arab Summit.
He pointed out that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no reservations on the resumption of diplomatic relations between the United States of America and Libya.
On terrorism, Prince Saud called for the establishment of Counter-terrorism International Center to coordinate international efforts in combating terrorism.