Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, expressed concern over the Israeli occupation's continuing policy of collective punishment and imposition of siege on Gaza Strip and the deepening of human suffering of the Palestinian people. Prince Saud Al-Faisal also denounced the Israeli occupation's continuing expansion of settlements in the West Bank in a policy that is totally contrary to international agreements and understandings aiming at finding a just, permanent and comprehensive settlement of the conflict in the Middle East on the basis of ending the Israeli occupation and the establishment of the independent state. This came in a statement Prince Saud made at the outset of the joint press conference with visiting British counterpart David Miliband held here today. During the press conference, the ministers reviewed issued discussed during their meeting which dealt with bilateral relations between the two countries and regional and international issues including the Iraqi and Lebanese situations, the Iranian nuclear file and the Middle East peace process, especially the issue of Palestine. On the Iranian file, Prince Saud Al-Faisal highlighted the importance of making the Middle East and Gulf region free of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear arms and that the right of the region's countries in the useful use of nuclear energy should agree with criteria and measures of the International Atomic Energy Agency and under its supervision. --More
