- Title: SYRIA: KING KHALID OF SAUDI ARABIA ARRIVES IN DAMASCUS FOR THREE DAY VISIT.
- Date: 28th December 1975
- Summary: 1. SV King Khalid steps down from aircraft and is greeted by Pres. Assad and official welcome 0.18 2. SV King and President review guard of honour 0.26 3. SV Crowd with portraits of Assad and Khalid 0.29 4. TV Motorcade, King and President drive through crowded streets waving to crowd and lambs slaughtered on roadside as they pass en route to palace 0.56 5. (SILENT) CU Palace guard 1.00 6. (SILENT) LV INT President Assad presents medal to King Khalid 1.18 Initials B/0010 DE/AW/BB/0020 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 12th January 1976 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: DAMASCUS, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Reuters ID: LVACZYPIQAHWS76OZ010O6GQKJFR
- Story Text: Saudi Arabia's monarch, King Khalid, arrived in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday (25 December) for a three-day state visit, and talks with the Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad.
He was greeted at the airport by president Assad, Prime Minister Mahmoud Al-Ayoubi, Ministers and senior officials.
He received a full official welcome, and, with President Assad, inspected a guard of honour.
King Khalid's visit followed a similar trip to Jordan and was seen by observers as a demonstration of Saudi support for direct confrontation with Israel.
The talks with President Assad gave the men an opportunity to exchange views on Middle East developments and Arab problems. King Khalid also met the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Mr. Yasser Arafat and they discussed the present situation in the Arab region and the latest Palestinian developments.
He also inspected his troops stationed in Syria and visited the town of Kuneitra, in the Golan Heights.
It was King Khalid's first visit to Syria since he came to the throne last March. At the end of the visit he and President Assad blamed Israel for the tension in the Middle East and demanded withdrawal from all Israeli-occupied Arab territory.
SYNOPSIS: King Khalid of Saudi Arabia arrived in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday for a three day visit. He was met at the airport by the Syrian President, Hafez-Al Assad, Prime Minister, Mahmoud Al-Ayoubi, ministers and senior officials.
Before travelling to the Presidential Palace, King Khalid and President Assad inspected a guard of honour.
The King received a warm welcome from Syrians who crowded the streets to catch a glimpse of him as he passed. They waved portraits of King Khalid and President Assad and lambs were slaughtered on the roadside as a sacrifice in the King's honour. During his State visit, the King also visited his troops stationed in Syria and the town of Kuneitra in the Golan Heights.
At the Presidential Palace, President Assad and King Khalid began their rounds of talks to discuss the latest Middle East developments and Arab problems. It was the King's first visit to Syria since he became monarch last March and it followed a similar one to Jordan.
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