E/CN.4/1989/44 page 8 30. On 8 December 1988, the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia communicated the reply of the Saudi Arabian authorities to the Special Rapporteur's letter of 21 July 1988. The reply stated, in particular: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the cradle of the divine revelations of Islam. In it there is the Holy Ka' Bah towards which Muslims all over the world direct their prayers and from which Islam sprung and spread throughout the globe. This divine and eternal religion is based on love of mankind and absolute tolerance. Whoever wants to study it deeply will clearly find that its principles affirm the respect of human rights and the preservation of man's dignity in all human endeavours and goals related to his basic needs in life. Furthermore there is in Islam, basic scientific and practical tenets which organize all and every religious aspect in this life and the life after. "I would like to assert that as Muslims we respect all religions...". Bulgaria 31. In a communication of 3 October 1988 addressed to the Government concerned, the Special Rapporteur referred to his exchange of correspondence with the Bulgarian Government under his previous mandate, and to his visit to Bulgaria from 12 to 16 October 1987, as mentioned in document E/CN.4/1988/45. The Special Rapporteur also transmitted the following information: "I should like to inform you that, since the renewal of my mandate by the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-fourth session, I have received from various sources a large number of communications on the situation of the Muslim community in Bulgaria, asserting the persistence of incidents and measures similar to those referred to in my previous report. "On the other hand, I have noted with great satisfaction the signing in Belgrade, on 23 February 1988, by the Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria and Turkey, of a protocol on the development of bilateral relations between the two countries, in which it has been agreed inter alia to establish a joint working group in order to seek solutions to existing problems in the sphere of bilateral relations, including the humanitarian sphere." 32. On 29 November 1988, the Permanent Representative of Bulgaria communicated the reply of the Bulgarian authorities to the Special Rapporteur's letter of 3 October 1988. The reply stated, in particular: "My country's position is contained in the reply of the People's Republic of Bulgaria of 7 September 1987. The same reply was reflected, in parts, in your report ... (E/CN.4/1988/45). In addition to the reply and in a spirit of co-operation and good will, the Bulgarian side invited you in 1987 to visit the People's Republic of Bulgaria so as to acquaint