Saudi Arabia welcomed the restart of direct peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel, slated for Sept. 2 in Washington, official SPA news agency reported.
"The Saudi government welcomes the Middle East Quartet's statement on the resumption of peace talks ... as well as the announcement of the Palestine Liberation Organization to engage in the talks based on the Quartet's statements and the U.S. invitation," a statement carried by SPA said late Monday following a cabinet session, Xinhua reported.
Saudi Arabia proposed a Middle East peace initiative in 2002 -- later adopted by the Arab League -- that offers peace to Israel in exchange for all Arab lands seized by the Jewish state in the 1967 Middle East war.
On Friday, the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invited the two sides to resume their negotiations in September, when a four-month indirect proximity talks, led by Washington, will come to an end.
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) accepted the invitation though it had been stressing would not go to direct discussions with Israel before it stops expanding Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.