It was a cold day in London, but the near zero degree temperature did not chill the second day of Saudi-British conference, where the two nations’ chief diplomats reflected on eight decades of warm relations between their two peoples and charted an equally amicable course for the future. Prince Saud Al-Faisal announced plans to appoint women to the Foreign Ministry for the first time this year. He pointed out that successful political reforms required “an evolutionary process.” Prince Saud said the two kingdoms were uniquely positioned to cooperate and play an effective role in dealing with major global issues. In his keynote address, Prince Saud said the role of Saudi women was changing rapidly. “Our educational reforms have created a new generation of highly educated and professionally trained Saudi women who are acquiring their rightful position in Saudi society. I am proud to mention here that this year we shall have omen working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the first time,” he said. Prince Saud refuted allegations that Saudi Arabia was promoting terrorism. “Saudi Arabia is a deeply devout society. Like other societies, we have our share of an extremist minority. Uninformed Western perception, however, has made the exception in our society the rule.” He said Saudi Arabia was one of the first victims of terrorism. “The threat of terrorism goes beyond our own society and security. One of the terrorists’ most threatening objectives is to drive a wedge between our cultures and societies,” he pointed out. He sought international cooperation to prevent terrorists from establishing safe havens by abusing asylum and migration laws.

Prince Saud emphasized the need to end the injustice being perpetrated against the Palestinian people as it is one of the factors fuelling international terrorism. “For years we have been preaching to unheeding ears in the West, therefore it was music to my ears to hear what Referring to political reform, the Saudi ministersaid the Kingdom believed that it must be evolutionary and must fulfil the requirements of its people. “The Saudi minister of Islamic ffairs has recently declared that there is nothing in Islam that prohibits women from participating in elections...I would not be surprised if they take part in the next round of elections.

”Prince Saud highlighted the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and Britain. “We share certain positions of influence and we even share certain common values with each other, combined with a healthy diversity that can be turned into complementary action to allow us to play more of an active role in world events.” “There have been more explorers and scholars of the Arab and Islamic world from the UK than from any other country outside the Middle East and North Africa,” he said.

Straw described the conference as “an opportunity to discuss how we can strengthen the partnership between the UK and Saudi Arabia, and meet together the challenges of a changing world. Saudi Arabia is at the political and economic heart of the Middle East, a region which is central to the UK’s interests and to those of almost every other country in the international community,” he said. “As the home of Islam’s two holiest sites, Saudi Arabia has enormous significance for the world’s Muslims, including the two million of them who live in Britain — 25,000 in my own parliamentary constituency of Blackburn,” Straw said. “I am proud that the UK was the first mainly Christian country to send an annual official, overnment-backed delegation to the holy places, assisting British pilgrims ndertaking Hajj. We are very grateful for all the cooperation which that delegation has received from the Saudi authorities,” he said. “We share certain positions of influence and we even share certain ommon values with each other, combined with a healthy diversity that can be turned into complementary action to allow us to play more of an active role in world events.” Prince Saud Al-Faisal .