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CNN Live Event/Special

Powell Holds Press Conference With Saudi Foreign Minister

Aired May 06, 2002 - 11:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Want to go live from there right to Washington, D.C. where we find Secretary of State Colin Powell at the microphone. He is with the Saudi foreign minister. Let's listen in.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: President Bush's speech of 4 April, long-standing positions with respect to U.N. resolutions 242 and 338, and now the crown prince's vision, now the Arab League vision, this all gives us much to work with. And I indicated to Prince Saud that I look forward to staying in very, very close touch with the Saudi leadership and with other Arab leadership -- the Egyptians, the Jordanians, many others -- as we move forward, to see if we can get through this period of crisis.

Hopefully, the situation in Bethlehem will be resolved in the not-too-distance future, and that will then have the opportunity of completing the Israeli withdrawal, and we will be looking forward to working with the Saudis and other Arab leaders on all elements of our strategy -- the security dimension of that strategy, the economic dimension of that strategy, but most important, the political dimension of that strategy.

And so it's a great please to again welcome you, my colleague, to the State Department.

PRINCE SAUD, FOREIGN MINISTER, SAUDI ARABIA: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

And with the words of the secretary, the only thing I can say is that we have remained in contact. We are both trying to move the peace process forward. Needless to say, all parties who are involved in this have to do their part in pushing the peace process forward. We hope that the efforts that are being expended to complete the Israeli withdrawal are finalized so that we can move towards the next steps. And this is the time for all sides to come with a positive attitude, to change the circumstances in which the Middle East is going through. The withdrawal is a necessary first step, but the important work is coming after that in the next steps.

POWELL: We're both running against time lines, and I have to give a speech in a few minutes, so we only have time for one or two questions.

(CROSSTALK) QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) Sharon brining documents tying Arafat directly to terrorism? Have those been deposited with the administration?

POWELL: I haven't seen them yet. I'll be meeting with Prime Minister Sharon in about 45 minutes. And I'm sure we'll have a chance to discuss it, and we'll receive the information.

QUESTION: Mr. Saud, what do you think of the American proposal for a Middle East conference of foreign minister?

SAUD: Well, really the idea that came out from the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) type meeting is being looked at. The conference or meeting is not an objective in itself. It depends on what that meeting includes. And until these are clear, I don't think we can give an opinion on that. But it is not a bad idea if the content is the proper content.

KAGAN: We have been listening in on a quick little news conference there with Secretary of State Colin Powell, also the Saudi foreign minister, Saud al-Faysal.

Washington, a busy town this week. As you can see, the Saudi foreign minister is in town. Also King Abdullah of Jordan and Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon is in town as well. He will be meeting tomorrow with President Bush as Secretary of State Powell was saying, all an effort to try to bring some calm and more peace to the Mideast. Hopeful signs, perhaps a negotiated settlement to end the siege at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and also the idea of an international conference that was floated by the United States last week. As you can see in the comments from the Saudi foreign minister, that's receiving lukewarm support in the Arab world.

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