Q: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been shouldering a vital role as regards peace and stability in the Middle East region, how do you evaluate the march of the initiative launched by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for peace in the Middle East, which was approved by the Arab summit held in Beirut in 2002? A: "Taking into consideration the continuous sufferings of the Palestinians since 1948, who are subject to killings, displacements and siege, and in order to realize peace in Palestine in a manner that greatly enhances peace in the Middle East region, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has supported all efforts for realizing peace. It supported and attended Madrid peace conference in 1991, and efforts that followed it for bringing about peace. Starting from these principles and depending on the bases ad principles of the international legitimacy and its decisions, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has announced his historical initiative for peace in the Middle East, and it was approved by the Arab summit, held in Beirut in 2002. That was for opening new horizons for co-existence based on restoring the Arab rights and ending the Arab-Israeli dispute and bringing about a durable peace in the region. This initiative, with its comprehensiveness for all problems, remains the base for all Arab efforts exerted for realizing peace in the Middle East Region. The initiative has crystallized the Palestinian and Arab demands in a joint stand which reflects the stands of all Arab countries. All Arab summits held after Beirut summit reiterated the adherence of the Arab countries with this initiative which represents the unified stand of the Arab nation. But the sorrowful matter is the continuation of Israel to reject and ignore all serious and sincere international peaceful initiatives for settling the dispute. Israel has been following a unilateral policies and violating all international laws and regulations and violating the human rights through building and expanding the settlements, building a wall and imposing collective penalties on the Palestinians leading to deepening the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza strip. So we ask the international community to immediately and firmly intervene for ending the siege and the humanitarian sufferings of the Palestinians. We also urge the international community to shoulder its role as regards putting pressure on the Israeli side to make it positively respond to the Arab peace initiative for bringing about just and comprehensive peace in the region.--MORE www.spa.gov.sa/562159