JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah returned here Saturday following a six-week-long successful foreign tour that took him to Canada, the United States, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. In Beirut, he presided over a reconciliation summit that brought together the leaders of Syria and Lebanon.
The media in the Arab world commended King Abdullah's efforts to defuse political tension in Lebanon in the wake of revelations that the UN tribunal probing the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri could indict Hezbollah members.
Newspapers in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan carried reports of the tripartite summit on front pages and said the historic summit would have positive effects on Lebanon's domestic situation. The summit leaders urged Lebanese groups to avoid violence and give priority to national interests.
"The three-way summit, bringing together King Abdullah, President Michel Suleiman and President Bashar Assad, gives us great relief," said Lebanon's Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, adding that the summit would contribute to Lebanon's stability and prosperity.
On arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Abdullah was greeted by Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, Prince Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior, other princes and top officials including Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.
King Abdullah arrived from Amman where he and his Jordanian counterpart King Abdallah discussed on Friday developments in Lebanon and the Middle East peace process.
Arab News
