Abdul Wahab Bashir, Arab News

JEDDAH, 29 June 2004 — Saudi Arabia yesterday welcomed the transfer of power in Iraq and expressed hope the country would now be able to embark on reconstruction.

A statement by the Council of Ministers following its weekly session expressed satisfaction with the surprise early handover of power to the interim Iraqi government by the US-led occupation authority.

“We are happy about the transfer of power in Iraq,” the statement, quoted by the Saudi Press Agency, said and expressed hope the handover would “pave the way to rebuilding the country using Iraq’s political, economic, social and security potential.”

Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy told the Saudi Press Agency the Cabinet also welcomed the pivotal role planned for the United Nations in the reconstruction process.

Several Arab governments welcomed the transfer of limited authority to the Iraqi government. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said giving authority to Iraqis would make it easier to restore stability in the country, where conflict has raged since the US invasion in March 2003.

Qatar said the handover was a “necessary step toward sovereignty” and stressed elections must be held on schedule.

The 22-member Arab League said it hoped the transfer was a step toward the restoration of full sovereignty. “All we want is for the Iraqi government to be able to exercise its sovereignty and authority in a way that acquires credibility,” Secretary-General Amr Moussa said.

Al-Farsy said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, who chaired the meeting, briefed the Cabinet on the outcome of the talks he and Crown Prince Abdullah had with world leaders including their meeting with Sudanese Vice President Ali Othman Taha, who told the Saudi leadership about the peace process in Sudan.

The Cabinet expressed hope the Quartet behind the Middle East road map for peace would revive the peace process based on the road map and the Arab peace initiative, ensuring international protection for the Palestinian people against Israeli atrocities.

Al-Farsy said the Cabinet slashed the tariff the state charges Saudi Telecom for commercial telecommunication services from 20 percent to 15 percent of STC’s income starting Jan. 1, 2005.

The charge for the new mobile telephone service provider has been fixed at 15 percent of the company’s income. However, during the first year the new provider would pay only five percent.

The Cabinet approved a number of bilateral agreements on the land transport of goods, sports, diplomatic and consular relations, and air transport with Iran, Russia, Bahrain and Niger.