United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday arrived in Saudi Arabia, on the first leg of a Middle East tour, for talks with King Abdullah and Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.
Rice, who landed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, was set to focus on relaunching the Middle East peace process and Iran's nuclear works. "Saudi leaders will appeal to Ms. Rice to relaunch the Middle East peace process and to firm up George W. Bush's vision of two states, Israeli and Palestinian," a Saudi official told AFP.
The crisis in Lebanon were also to figure on the agenda, he said.
On the aircraft to Jeddah, Rice told journalists she intended to hold talks with King Abdullah about ways to help Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. "I want Saudi's involvement in the stabilization of Iraq, I want Saudi involvement in the stabilization of Lebanon, through resources and political support," said Rice.
