February 19, 2002	Tuesday	Zilhaj 6, 1422

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KABUL, Feb 18: Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Afghanistan on Monday almost five months after closing it in the wake of the Sept 11 terror attacks against the United States.

Riyadh’s envoy to Pakistan, Ali Saeed Awadh Asseri, led the re-opening ceremony, at which he pledged Saudi’s support for the war-ravaged nation.

“The heart and spirit of the Saudi people are always with the Afghan people ... and we are praying for the stability, security and well-being of Afghanistan,” Mr Asseri said.

Mr Asseri and Afghan’s interim foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah together raised the Saudi flag, after which Abdullah hailed a “new phase” in Saudi-Afghan relations.

“It is a new phase, a turning point ... in the promotion of our relations, in all aspects, between the two brotherly nations,” he said.—AFP