33- Bulletin June 2009 Issue 33

Full Story Pages 2-3

Premier Nathan Reece, AmbassadorHassan Nazer and Prince Turki

Full StoryPages 5-7

www.saudiaustraliaonline.com June 2009 Issue 33 Vol 4

President Obama, arriving in Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah

chose Saudi Arabia as the first stop on his MiddleEast tour because the Kingdom is a key ally andthe cradle of Islam. “I take this trip knowing it isvery important to come to the place where Islambegan and to seek His Majesty's counsel and todiscuss with him many of the issues that we con-front here in the Middle East.” President Obamasaid he was confident that working together theU.S. and Saudi Arabia “can make progress on awhole host of issues and mutual interests.” Obama also reassured the public of the key aims ofhis trip, "What is important is that we demon-

The President of the Unites States,Barack Obama has made a historicvisit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

being received by the Custodian of the TwoHoly Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulazizin Riyadh. is trip had triggered the start ofa mission which has been planned for monthsas part of a bid to improve the tattered U.S.relationship with the Muslim world.King Abdullah and President Obamaheld bilateral talks at the King’s ranchin Al-Janadriyah to mainly discussMideast peace negotiations, regionalsecurity and energy issues. During re-marks to the media, President Obamastressed the value of his relationshipwith the Saudi monarch. “I've beenstruck by his wisdom and his gracious-ness,” he said. e U.S. and SaudiArabia “have a long history of friend-ship, we have a strategic relationship.” President Obama said he purposely

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During their discussions, the two lead-ers focused on regional and interna-tional developments – especially thePalestinian issue – and on Saudi-U.S.bilateral cooperation. King Abdullahand President Obama are expected tohold further talks, during which theywill focus on a variety of issues, includ-ing the world financial crisis.

strate that theUnited Stateswants to pursue adifferent relation-ship and ensurethat Muslimsaround the worldunderstand themessage of theUnited States:at we sharecommon hopesand dreams andthat we can worktogether to fulfillthose hopes anddreams … sepa-rating that fromthe extremismand extremists

that wish to do us harm.''King Abdullah thanked President Obama for hiskind word “and the sentiments expressed withinthem, which are not suprising, given the historic andstrategic ties between our two countries, which goback to the time of the meeting between the lateFranklin Delano Roosevelt and the late King Abdu-laziz.” King Abdullah also express his wishes “to thefriendly American people who are represented by adistinguished man who deserves to be in this posi-tion.”

“The US and Saudi Arabiahave a long history offriendship, a strategic relationship”President Obama

King Abdullah also presented PresidentObama with the King AbdulazizMedal, the Kingdom’s highest awardwhich is bestowed to heads of state andworld leaders.Following Obama’s trip to Saudi Arabiahe stopped off at Cairo where he madea highly memorable speech to the Mus-lim World which could be considered todesignate a new phase between theUnited States and the Arab and IslamicWorld.


Saudi Ambassador to Australia HassanTalat Nazer, represented by SaudiCharge d'Affaires Advisor Hussein Al-

Assiri and Saudi Cultural attaché Dr. Ali binMohammed Al-Bishri, has patronized theForum of second homeland Ambassadors forSaudi students on scholarships which tookplace in the city of Hobart, Tasmania Australiathis month. A number of Australian government agencies, universities and Saudi student Clubsin the Australian state of Tasmania have partic-ipated in the Forum. Addressing the Forum, Al-Assiri commendedthe objectives of the Custodian of the TwoHoly Mosques, King Abdullah's Program forForeign Scholarships. Al- Assiri also praisedthe efforts exerted by both the students andthe embassy to organize this forum.On his part, Dr. Al-Bishri called on Saudi students to take advantage of the forum, as ithas provided the opportunity to students to become informed of the government and academic services provided to them in allfields.

Saudi Charge d’Affaires Advisor Mr.Hussein Al-Assiri with Dr Al-Bishri



Prince Turki Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Chair-man of Board of Directors of King Faisal Cen-ter for Islamic Research and Studies, has visitedAustralia on a several day tour, at the invitationof various academic, scientific and Islamic institutions in Australia.Aswell as being Chairman of the Islamic Re-search Studies, Prince Turki also sits on theBoard of Trustees of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the International Crisis Groupand the Centre for Contemporary Arab

Prince Turki with NSWPremier Nathan Reece

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e Prince, in company of the am-bassador Hassan Nazer and severalother accompanying delegates hadalso visited the Al-Risalah collegein Sydney, where the delegationwas received by the Schools Princi-pal Mr. Ali Roude and the Schools Islamic Coordinator, whereby theymet with students and teachers.After the tour the delegation werepresented with entertainment,courtesy of the students followedby a luncheon which was held inthe Prince's honour.

Prince Turki visits Al-Risalahcollege, NSW


Studies at Georgetown University. He is also a Commis-sioner at the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.e Prince arrived at Sydney Airport earlier this monthand was received by Saudi Ambassador to Australia andNew Zealand H.E Hassan bin Talat Nazer.During his visit, Prince Turki Al-Faisal met with the Aus-tralian Trade Minister, MP Simon Crean and severalmembers of the Saudi-Australian Parliamentary Friend-

ship Committee in Australia.e Prince alsomet with the NSW Premier Mr. NathanReece were they discussed bilateral issues ofmutual interest and reflected on the two na-tions.e Prince reviewed a number of issues andcurrent Arab and international crises, alsohighlighting Saudi Arabia's position on theissue of peace in the Middle East, and indi-cating that the solution to the Israeli-Pales-tinian conflict and the implementation ofArab peace initiative will push forward tofinding solutions to other regional and inter-national issues.Continues on Page 8


Professor John Hearn, Deputy Vice-Chancel-lor, International, welcomed HRH PrinceTurki Al Faisal from the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia, H.E Hassan bin Talat Nazer, Saudi Ambas-sador to Australia and a delegation from the KingFaisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies tothe University of Sydney.e delegation was at the University to discuss op-tions for further engagement in Saudi research andteaching programs in key focus areas of medicine,sciences, law, architecture, engineering and human-ities and social sciences ahead of a possible Univer-sity of Sydney 2010 delegation.Professor Hearn hosted a luncheon for HRHPrince Turki Al Faisal, which included the Dean ofMedicine, Professor Bruce Robinson, the Dean ofLaw, Professor Gillian Triggs, the Acting Dean ofEducation and Social Work, Professor RobynEwing and Associate Professor Ahmad Shboul,Chair of Department of Arab & Islamic Studies atthe Faculty of Arts.

In his address at the luncheon, H.R.H high-lighted the potential scope for development ofsustainable linkages between the University and SaudiArabia, especially with the King Faisal Research Centrefor Research and Islamic Studies, of which Prince Turkiis Chairman and Alfaisal University and Effet Univer-sity both supported by the King Faisal Foundation..Professor Hearn also hosted a roundtable session withsenior leaders from across the University. HRH PrinceTurki Al Faisal also met with around 20 Saudi studentsstudying at universities across NSW and the ACT.e University of Sydney currently hosts 89 Saudi stu-dents studying across faculties, the majority of whichare at undergraduate level, with a small but growingportion at PhD level. e main study areas for Saudistudents are in the health sciences, sciences and medi-cine. e University of Sydney-Saudi Health program,launched in 2005, continues to be the University's flag-ship program for student engagement with Saudi Ara-bia with over 157 students involved in various stages ofthe program.

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The 4th round of free trade negotia-tions between GCC states andAustralia has been held at the Al

Bustan Palace Hotel in Muscat, Oman thismonth. e GCC side was chaired by Shaikh Dr Abdulmalik bin Abdullah al Hinai, Under-Secretary for Economic Affairs, whilethe Australian side was chaired by TimYeend. Al Hinai said the talks which tookplace mainly covered negotiations on com-modities, services, trade, investment, govern-ment purchases and intellectual property. AlHinai also said that the GCC has held excep-tional trade relations with Australia and thatthere is wide scope for co-operation in investment, trade and services in the near future.

GCC talks held in Al Bustan Palce Hotel in Muscat,Oman

Continued from Page 6While on his visit, the Islamic Council inNew South Wales, hosted a dinner party inhis honour.e party was attended by for-mer Australian Prime Minister MalcolmFraser, Multicultural Minister Laurie Fer-guson, Saudi Ambassador to Australia Has-san Talat Nazer, a number of ambassadorsof Arab and Islamic states and several Aus-tralian delegates.

Addressing the party, Prince Turki al-Faisal em-phasized the values and meanings of moderationand dialogue in Islam and the fight against extrem-ism, which constitute a fundamental and impor-tant part of the teachings and the nature of Islam,which is the religion of millions of Muslimsaround the world. Prince Turki also made remarks on Obama's tripto the Middle East and urged the president to putwords into action and help establish peace and se-curity in the Middle East.In an invitation to the Australian National Univer-sity from the Arab and Islamic Studies DirectorProf. Amin Saikal, the Prince applauded Obama’swords stating that he is heading in the right direc-tion through with several agenda’s kept to promotepeace in the middle east, but says that it’s time for“Obama to walk the walk, now that he has talkedthe talk”.

Prince Turki visits Australia

Documents

33- Bulletin June 2009 Issue 33