SAUDI ARABIA'S KING FAHD VISITS BRITAIN THIS WEEK
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia begins a
four-day state visit on Tuesday which will focus on redressing
Britain's large trade surplus with the kingdom and reaffirming
ties between the traditionally close countries.
    British officials said King Fahd may ask Britain to restore
diplomatic relations with Syria, broken off by London last
October after evidence in the trial of Nizar Hindawi showed
Syrian agents were behind a plan to bomb an Israeli airliner.
    But one official said the king would be told Britain still
needs "clear and sustainable evidence that the Syrians have
renounced state-sponsored terrorism. So far they haven't."
    Britain will stress its support for an international peace
conference on the Middle East and its concern over alleged
human rights abuses by Israel in the occupied West Bank and
Gaza, the officials told Reuters.
    The Saudi leader will hold talks with Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher and meet Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
during the visit, his first to Britain since he assumed power
in June 1982.
    King Fahd will be accompanied by his trade, defence, oil
and health ministers, who will hold talks with their British
counterparts.
    Relations between the two countries have generally been
warm. But they were strained last year by the deportation of 35
British nurses from the kingdom for illegal drinking and the
publication of a letter by a retired British ambassador
describing Saudi Arabians as incompetent and arrogant.
    Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest export market in the
Middle East.
    Britain exported 1.5 billion stg worth of goods to Saudi
Arabia last year while British imports from that country in the
same period totalled 436 mln.
    Trade officials will discuss what countertrade Britain can
offer in return for Riyadh giving London its biggest-ever arms
export order.
    Under the five billion stg deal signed last year, Saudi
Arabia has agreed to buy 132 warplanes including 72 Tornado
fighters.
    Saudi Oil Minister Hisham Nazer is likely to discuss oil
price stabilisation but Britain would not change its refusal to
limit its North Sea oil production and exports, officials said.
    Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has asked
all oil-producing countries to help stabilise oil prices at 18
dlrs a barrel by curbing output and exports.
    King Fahd's trip follows several visits to Saudi Arabia by
British officials in recent months. Britain's Prince Charles
and Princess Diana went to Saudi Arabia in November.
    There were two previous state tours of Britain by Saudi
monarchs. King Faisal visited in 1967 and King Khaled in 1981.
 REUTER
