SUDAN: KING FEISAL OF SAUDI ARABIA STARTS STATE VISIT.

Record ID: 189645

  • Title: SUDAN: KING FEISAL OF SAUDI ARABIA STARTS STATE VISIT.
  • Date: 7th March 1966
  • Summary: KING FEISAL AT KHARTOUM AIRPORT, WELCOME CEREMONY AND HIGHLIGHTS OF FIRST DAY OF VISIT. Initials JRG/VS/JF/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd March 1966 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KHARTOUM, SUDAN
  • Country: Sudan
  • Reuters ID: LVA4YTBS36WIDWWVBQO3Y7UULILS
  • Story Text: KING FEISAL OF SAUDI ARABIA IS IN THE SUDAN ON AN EIGHT-DAY STATE VISIT. HE ARRIVED IN KHARTOUM ON SATURDAY AND WAS WELCOMED AT THE AIRPORT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF STATE, SAYEED ISMAIL EL AZHARI, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT.

    DURING HIS VISIT, THE KING WILL HAVE INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND PARTY LEADERS ABOUT HIS RECENT PROPOSAL FOR STRONGER LINKS BETWEEN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES.

    THE DAY WAS DECLARED AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY TO MARK THE VISIT, AND THE STREETS WERE DECORATED WITH SAUDI ARABIAN FLAGS AND WELCOMING SLOGANS. THOUSANDS OF SUDANESE LINED THE ROADS AS THE KING AND PRESIDENT DROVE PAST TO THE REPUBLICAN PALACE. TWO STUDENTS WHO TRIED TO THROW LEAFLETS AT THE PASSING CAR WERE ARRESTED.

    SECURITY FORCES COLLECTED A NUMBER OF LEAFLETS DISTRIBUTED BY ARAB UNION UNIONISTS WHICH THE POLICE SAID WERE CRITICAL OF THE KING'S PROPOSALS. A LETTER BY YEMENIS LIVING IN THE SUDAN WAS ALSO DISTRIBUTED -- IT CALLED ON THE KING TO SUPPORT THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT AT HOME. (SAUDI ARABIA'S SUPPORT IN THE YEMEN HAS BEEN WITH THE ROYALISTS.)
    IN A WELCOMING SPEECH, THE PRESIDENT SAID THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES THAT THEY WERE SPECIALLY HAPPY TO RECEIVE THE KING. THEIR ISLAMIC FAITH AND ARABISM WERE STRONG TIES, HE SAID.

    THE PRESIDENT SAID THE SUDAN LOOKED FORWARD TO FRUITFUL RESULTS FROM THE VISIT AND HE WAS SURE RELATIONS WOULD BE STRENGTHENED IN THE ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL FIELDS.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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