FM SAUD AL-FAISAL: RELATIONS WITH JORDAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 003041 E.O.12356: DECL: 7/5/05 TAGS: PREL SA JO SUBJECT: FM SAUD AL-FAISAL: RELATIONS WITH JORDAN "MOVING ALONG" ¶1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. ¶2. IN JULY 4 MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR, FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL CHARACTERIZED SAUDI-JORDANIAN RELATIONS AS HAVING IMPROVED SOMEWHAT, "THEY ARE MOVING ALONG," AND "I THINK WE'LL SEE MORE." HE CONFIRMED THAT THE SAUDIS INTEND TO SEND AN AMBASSADOR TO AMMAN, "PERHAPS NEXT MONTH," AND "IN THE MEANTIME, WE WILL HAVE A VISITOR FROM JORDAN, PERHAPS THE FOREIGN MINISTER." ¶3. IN THE SAME BREATH, SAUD CAUTIONED THAT THE TWO SIDES NEED TO "REVIEW WHAT HAPPENED, AND EXAMINE THE DAMAGE TO RELATIONS, SO AS TO AVOID A REPETITION IN THE FUTURE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST." SAUD EXPRESSED HOPE THAT SUCH A REVIEW WOULD PRODUCE A POSITIVE ASSESSMENT, AND HE ADDED, "WE HOPE JORDAN WILL CHANGE ITS POLICY IN THE REGION." THERE IS NO PROBLEM BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND JORDAN ON THE PEACE PROCESS, WHICH BOTH SUPPORT, BUT "THE ONE PROBLEM" IS HOW THE JORDANIANS ARE PURSUING THE ISSUE OF IRAQ. ¶4. SAUD PROFESSED NOT TO UNDERSTAND WHY KING HUSSEIN HAS TO TAKE POSITIONS SUPPORTIVE OF IRAQ IN HIS FIRST MEETINGS IN FRANCE. WITHOUT GOING INTO DETAILS OF WHAT KING HUSSEIN TOLD THE FRENCH, HE SAID THAT THERE ARE WAYS AND WAYS TO DEAL WITH ISSUES. SAUD ASKED RHETORICALLY WHETHER THE INTERESTS OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE COULD BE SECURED BY GIVING SUPPORT TO THE IRAQI REGIME. CONCLUDING, HE STATED THAT IT WOULD BE JUSTIFIABLE IF JORDAN WANTED TO ACCUSE THE IRAQI REGIME AND THEN TRY TO HELP THE IRAQI PEOPLE THROUGH HUMANITARIAN CHANNELS ALLOWED BY THE SANCTIONS REGIME. ¶5. COMMENT: IT APPEARS THAT SAUDI RELATIONS WITH JORDAN AT LAST ARE BEGINNING TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SAUD'S BLUNT CONCERNS ABOUT PERCEIVED JORDANIAN SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT INDICATE, HOWEVER, THAT A GOOD DEAL OF WORK REMAINS BEFORE A NEW CHAPTER CAN BE WRITTEN. KATTOUF