"More than anything else, a successful relationship, of course, requires trust and sincerity, whether between people or between governments."

There are some moments in history that can be called knots of opportunity, tying up the past with the future and opening up new roads. The meeting between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz aboard the USS Quincy in 1945 was one such moment, marking and defining a half-century of Saudi-American relations. In the future, the meeting between their successors, President George W. Bush and Crown Prince Abdullah, at Bush's Crawford ranch last week, may be seen as a similarly defining moment, a moment that underwrites the next half-century of Saudi-American relations.

Such a moment cries out for honesty. First, it is no secret that relations between the two countries have been strained for several years, with Sept. 11 as a tragic and unfortunate marker. The results have been dreadful for two such historically dependent peoples. Seventy percent of Americans say they distrust Saudi Arabia and the Muslim world, and suspicion and anger toward American intentions and policies is running as high or more in the Arab world.

In the first instance, this growing disconnect can be traced back to pre-9/11 Saudi policies, in particular their acknowledged failure to recognize and address the rise of extremism. Americans were rightfully angered as they argued that this posture of denial had led to the unalterable fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. Although Saudi Arabia and the Arab world shared America's grief and anger and expressed their heartfelt sympathy, this could only barely quiet the outrage and anger.

This brutal disconnect was compounded by the direction that America took after 9/11. Whereas the world stood strongly by America and supported it in the decision to oust the Taleban from Afghanistan, American policy became increasingly driven by anger and even rage. While anger was justified after the appalling terrorist acts of Sept. 11, anger does not resolve problems, especially when it turns into rage. The world expected to be brought together, but it was torn apart by widespread opposition to the war in Iraq and what was seen as a paucity of understanding and leadership on the part of America.

Today both sides have realized their mistakes and are making real efforts to overcome their differences and misunderstandings. A strong injection of constructive energy and understanding was needed; standing together, Bush and Abdullah provided it last week. They chose the road of hope and healing and their political maturity allowed them to bridge issues which once divided them. Their meeting represents a fresh start in the relationship between our two countries and peoples.

America's new strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia is not for or against certain people or countries, but for a purpose: To prevent the spread of hatred and terror, to resolve dividing issues, and to emphasize dialogue. An initial sign of this new strategic alliance is the growing dislike within the American public and administration for Israeli policy. As for the Arabs, they are more disliked, but this reversal of previous patterns signifies that Saudi Arabia and Israel have an equal opportunity to prove themselves through their actions.

Let us look now at what has been achieved between America and Saudi Arabia. At the Crawford meeting each party knew what was expected of it and the question was no longer how to remove a contentious issue but to find the best ways to cooperate to achieve shared goals. For example, the issue of terrorism was addressed some time ago simply by sitting down and strategizing together. There was no question of disagreements, only of shared goals and of how to attain them. Saudi-American cooperation on fighting terrorism has been a great success and the world has benefited from this mutual sincerity.

On the world economy and oil supply, they talked as two parties with a shared vision, not as two parties juggling with each other for a better deal. America has appreciated Saudi Arabia's good will and the high costs incurred over 20 years by a strategy of keeping a spare capacity of 2 million barrels to meet oil crises and to guarantee the stability of the world economy. Shared international responsibility for world economic stability was underlined by Prince Abdullah's call for a meeting between oil producers and consumers in Riyadh, in order to better identify problems, worldwide inventories and future steps.

The issue of social and democratic reform was another point of Saudi-American agreement, not contention. Saudi Arabia is steadily moving toward participatory government and America expressed respect for this homegrown change. The Saudi leadership has understood that it is time to execute a new fair and stable social contract to meet the challenges of a world which needs the best minds and technologies to work together, and on which sincere relationships with others are based.

More than anything else, a successful relationship, of course, requires trust and sincerity, whether between people or between governments. When Saudi Arabia voiced opposition to the war in Iraq, it was a sign of friendship and sincerity. That is what friends do: They tell each other the truth and offer their heartfelt advice. This spirit has been further evidenced by the joint Saudi-French-American stand on the Syrian-Lebanese issue. The three countries worked with discretion and respect, achieving an unexpectedly swift and peaceful resolution, and bringing together those who have voiced very different opinions. To honor this spirit and to continue advancing the Saudi-American relationship, a joint commission headed by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been set up. The commission's aim is to resolve further outstanding issues and to monitor and watch over the constant improvement of the Saudi-American relationship.

But to do this we need more than commissions and meetings. Healing must take place also between peoples. Signs of coming change in visa restrictions and opportunities for study are very encouraging. To improve mutual perceptions we need continuous and open communication between our peoples, as exemplified by our leaders.

We should promote exchanges also between our populations at large. I would like to see Saudi and American schoolchildren holding hands, or a Saudi farmer tilling the land with his American brethren. When this happens we will know that we have lived up to the historic moment between our leaders at the Crawford ranch.

Let us take that very moment as the time and occasion for welcoming back an America that we have always loved and admired, as we look forward to another 50 years of close relations between our two countries.

- Hassan Yassin is former head of The Saudi Information Office in Washington D.C.

Reprinted with permission of Arab News