During a press conference yesterday at Al-Kharj, Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General reaffirmed that the Saudi-Yemeni Joint Committees assigned to demarcate the borders between the two fraternal countries are continuing their mission, pointing out that "such tasks, however, require a great deal of time". Disclosing that a high-level committee is to visit Yemen on Tuesday May 21, he said: "God willing, things are proceeding on a proper track in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz and his Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, and with those of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh."

Concerning the Middle East peace process and the upcoming Israeli elections, Prince Sultan said: "Peace will never be realized while there is this senseless Israeli arrogance". Referring to the fact that Israel launched an attack against targets near the position of UN peacekeeping forces in the Lebanese village of Qana, he said: "We feel nothing but sorrow at Israel's unjustified military assault on Lebanon". He reiterated the Arabs' concern for peace, and added that "There is a great difference between those who occupy the territories of others and call for peace, and those who struggle to restore their occupied and usurped lands." Making clear that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no interest in the internal affairs of Israel, Prince Sultan said: "We are not concerned with whether Shimon Peres or any other person wins the elections, but what we are concerned with is to see Israel working genuinely for the realization of peace and complying with the resolutions adopted by the United Nations."

Regarding reports from the US State Department of threats received by the US Embassy in Riyadh and directed against Americans residing in the Kingdom following the arrest of the culprits of the explosion incident, Prince Sultan said: "These threats are childish behavior, and those who practice such childish behavior think that by means of telephone calls or fliers they can affect the Kingdom in some way. No, they will not affect us in any way, and we are determined to carry out the laws of God on these culprits without any hesitation."

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