DAMASCUS Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz held a final meeting Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the situation in the Middle East before continuing on a multi-nation tour, AFP quoted a Saudi diplomat as saying.

Wednesday's discussions concentrated on the "regional situation, notably in the occupied Arab territories and repressive Israeli practices against the Palestinian people, as well as on bilateral relations," the official Sana news agency quoted the diplomat as saying.

The two leaders had already held three rounds of talks following Prince Abdullah's arrival in Damascus on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Sana quoted Information Minister Mohammed Omran as stressing "The positive impact of the special Saudi-Syrian relations on the Arab nation."

Both Riyadh and Damascus "refuse to give away an inch of occupied Arab territory and are seeking a just and comprehensive peace based on international principles guaranteeing the return of all occupied Arab territories and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Bait-ul-Moqaddas as its capital," he said.

Abdullah, who manages the current affairs of the kingdom for the ailing King Fahd, is going on to Germany, Sweden and Morocco, having dropped Canada from the itinerary.

He canceled his visit to Canada "because of criticism from Canadian officials and newspapers of the security and religious situation in the kingdom," according to the Saudi newspaper **** Al-Riyadh *****.

He has also decided not to add the United States, a close ally of Saudi Arabia, to the tour.

Diplomats in the Saudi capital said the crown prince was making a protest against Washington's support for Israel.