Indonesian president starts visit to Saudi Arabia

Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid started a visit to Saudi Arabia in the first stage of a tour which will last for two weeks, during which he will visit 13 countries.

Wahid met during his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia with the Saudi monarch and with the high-ranking officials to discuss bilateral ties and Saudi aid to Indonesia following the crisis of the Asian currencies.

Saudi sources told ArabicNews.com that Wahid denied that there is economic cooperation between Israel and Indonesia, and he informed the Saudi officials that his country will not establish any relations with Israel until after the liberation of all the occupied Arab lands.

Wahid met today with the Indonesian community in Saudi Arabia, as they asked him to address laborers' issues against the business owners and the Saudi government during his discussions with Saudi officials.