Al-Faisal: we will not send experts to the West Bank

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal denied in Beirut on Monday evening what has been recently rumored about his country's inclination to send Saudi military experts to the Palestinian self- rule areas, like Egypt and Jordan. Al-Faisal commented: reform in the Palestinian Authority is a Palestinian issue and the main effort is a Palestinian one, supported by the Arab states.

Al-Faisal on Monday held a short visit to Damascus where he met with President Bashar al-Assad before heading to Beirut which presides over the Arab summit. In Beirut, al-Faisal met with the Lebanese President Emil Lahoud and the Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, the speaker of parliament Nabih Berri and the foreign minister Mahmoud Hammoud, and briefed them on the results of the Arab tripartite ministerial meeting ( Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan) in Washington last week.

Al-Faisal described these talks which at the time, provoked the Lebanese -- president of the Arab summit -- as well Syria, as non official. He indicated that the Arab peace initiative will not lose if there will be coordination between the Arab initiative committee and the Quartet committee (composed of the US , Russia, EU, and the UN).