September 30, 2002	Monday	Rajab 22, 1423

RIYADH, Sept 29: President Hosni Mubarak, who arrived here on a short visit on Sunday, discussed with the Saudi leadership a letter from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to the Egyptian leader.

The letter from President Saddam, delivered earlier by the Iraqi foreign minister during his visit to Cairo, stressed that the Iraqi offer on weapon inspections was unconditional so that the world could be sure Iraq did not possess or want any weapons of mass destruction.

During the visit President Mubarak met the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and discussed the Iraq crisis and the Israeli siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Saudi Defence Minister and other leading members of the government were also present during the meeting between the two sides.

The two sides were reported to have examined the “situation in the region and the precipitous events that could have negative consequences throughout the Arab world”.

Prince Abdullah and the President Mubarak also discussed the efforts underway to end the latest Israeli siege of Arafat’s Ramallah headquarters.

Egypt’s Information Minister Safwat El-Sherif, who accompanies Mubarak during his short trip to the Kingdom, was quoted here as saying that two leaders “discussed the Arab position related to the Iraq issue in the light of Baghdad’s announcement agreeing to allow back international inspectors.”

“On this issue the two leaders reviewed contacts made with the Iraqi President related to the need for Iraq’s commitment to UN resolutions,” Sherif added. The two sides also discussed current Arab, Islamic and international issues.