Saudi King, British Queen address Banquet
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom hosted last night an official banquet in honor of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz at the Buckingham Palace in London.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Queen Elizabeth made the following statement: "It gives me a great pleasure to welcome King Abdullah, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on this visit to London.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, as is the case with many of your nationals, you are not stranger to the United Kingdom. The ties that link our families are close and ever-lasting. Here, I recall very happy moments when we met last time, when you had watched some majestic Scottish places while visiting Balmoral in 1988.
Many British citizens have been enjoying the generous Saudi hospitality over the years, whether as traders or as experts or advisers.
As many as 25,000 British citizens perform pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah and visit the city each year [and we] feel particularly grateful for the great efforts made by the Saudi authorities to ensure the safety and success of their visits.
The friendly relations between our two countries have been deep-rooted over years. We have observed, on many times, that we have joined hands with each other against the threats facing our common security. Despite changes with the passage of time, I am convinced that the linkages and knowledge, experiences and friendship between our two countries have been strengthened over the last 100 years, and these bonds of friendship are still strengthened to this day, and we will continue enhancing these ties further in the future.
We also share together a set of common values emerging from two great ideological heritages on the basis of monotheism, which is the true religion of Ibrahim.
We, in a world in which some seek to use the cloak of religion to weaken our societies and their unity - should continue our cooperation with each other to spread the common values and to promote mutual understanding between our two countries and our two peoples as well as encourage our peoples to opt for the best in our cultural features."
The Queen said "The relations between our countries have become deeper and wider as you have been diversifying
Saudi Arabia's economy, trade and investment in both directions. There has been a blossoming and steady progress (in these directions). Today, our country (Britain) enjoys a portion of investments coming from Saudi Arabia, while the links between our armed forces are now stronger than ever.
There is a widening scope of bilateral cooperation in the areas of education and training with the help and encouragement of the British Council, which is a welcoming sign.
As we continue to work together in the face of terrorists who threaten the lives of our citizens in both countries and seeking to make the Middle East region more peaceful and stable, this will be beneficial to all the peoples of the region.
We have followed with great interest your efforts for advancing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia forward, while preserving the deep-rooted traditions and beliefs.
We have our appreciation and admiration for the role played by the Kingdom to seek a peaceful settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict, especially through the Arab peace initiative that you -- the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, have personally presented. We will continue our support to your efforts for peace in the region.
Relations between our Kingdoms are based on relationships involving mutual benefit and the exchange of knowledge and mutual understanding between our two countries.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, I do welcome you warmly in this country," the Queen concluded.
After this, the Royal Saudi anthem was played.
Then, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud made the following statement:
"In the name of God - the Merciful
Her Majesty - Queen Elizabeth II:
His Royal Highness Prince Philip - the Duke of Edinburgh:
Royal Highness and Excellencies:
May peace be upon you all and God's mercy and blessings:
Your Majesty, I express my thanks and appreciation for this kind invitation and for all the hospitality and respect we have received. I also express my gratitude for the feelings that have been mentioned in contents of your Majesty's speech. I reiterate to you that the Saudi people also harbor similar feelings toward the British people.
Your Majesty: The Saudi-British relationship lasted almost a century, and the historic meeting between the founder - the late King Abdul-Aziz, (May God have mercy on him), and British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in 1945, which initially laid the foundations for the sound constructive cooperation between the two countries.
We still remember Your Majesty's visit that had a great impact on us.
My current visit is an extension of official visits conducted by my late brother Kings (May God have mercy on them).
I hope my visit will contribute further to deepening cooperation and pushing ahead cooperation in various fields.
Your Majesty:
From Britain, the scientific renaissance was launched that led to the industrial movement which introduced humanity to a new phase. That legacy is still alive and vibrant. We look forward to close cooperation with you in the vital areas related to the transfer of technical education and training and scientific research because we believe that any real development must begin with the development of human beings and making them qualified.
Your Majesty: Signs of war and conflicts emerge in many places of the world, and in front of these increased risks, we must opt for wisdom and courage so as not to allow things to slip to the brink of the abyss, every dispute, whichever its complications, could be resolved if we deal it with a spirit of justice and equity.