Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, chaired a meeting of the Saudi Council of Ministers on 16th February, 1998.

Referring to the ongoing Iraqi crisis, King Fahd reiterated the concern of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to see an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people and maintenance of the integrity of Iraqi territories.

The current crisis, the Saudi leader noted, resulted from the reluctance of the Iraqi government to comply with UN Security Council resolutions, especially those dealing with the tasks of UNSCOM. King Fahd emphasized the necessity for compliance, and the need to exhaust all diplomatic means in the search for an appropriate resolution of the crisis.

King Fahd went on to underscore the necessity for Israel to adhere to all UN resolutions and the principle of land-for-peace. The obstacles in the path of the peace process, he said, clearly ensued from the intransigence of Israel.

The cabinet then reviewed the results of Crown Prince Abdullah's recent visit to Cairo. There was complete agreement on points of view between the two countries concerning international developments, especially on the crisis between Iraq and the United Nations.