Saudi Arabia welcomes President's peace moves

Saudi Education Minister and Saudi Scouts' Association President Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed, said Saudi Arabia appreciates the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan government to restore peace and reconciliations in Sri Lanka after the end of the war.

Prince Faisal is in Sweden to take part in the 22nd World Scout Jamboree.

The prince made this observation when he received the Sri Lankan Scout contingent headed by its leader attorney-at-law Janaprith Fernando at a reception by the Prince at the site of the jamboree.

The Saudi prince as a member of the World Scout Association has taken measures with funding from the Saudi government to transform the scouts as messengers of peace.

The organizers have obtained the consent of over 20,000 members to voluntarily take part as messengers of peace.

He said that peace exists within the mankind and there should be leaders among ourselves to articulate it among our societies.

The prince said that the custodian of two holy mosques, the Saudi Arabian king, was happy that peace has returned to Sri Lanka.

"Peace in Sri Lanka has a favourable effect on the people of Saudi Arabia," Prince Faisal told the Sri Lankan contingent.

Saudi Arabia is to host the second world peace camp next year. He said Sri Lanka could share its experiences of making peace with other nations.

Sri Lankan Scout contingent leader attorney-at-law Janaprith Fernando said that at the moment Sri Lanka is the only country which has fully crushed terrorism and ushered peace. Some 39,000 scouts from 160 countries are in Sweden to take part in the jamboree which opened Wednesday and continues until August 8.

Over 29 million scouts around the world under the initiative of King Abdullah have been called on to act as "Messengers of Peace" in the world, building bridges between communities, nations and faiths of the world.