The United States and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement to repatriate Saudi nationals held at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, according to US Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
He also said the United States was close to reaching a similar deal with another country, but did not give details.
"In the last week or so we've concluded agreements with two countries and their citizens are in the process of returning home," Powell told a news conference at the French American Press Club in Paris.
"The only one I can mention right now is Saudi Arabia. There is another one which just needs another day or two to clear the agreement. We are working with all the other countries in an aggressive way to see whether we can clear these cases."
Efforts to repatriate prisoners from the naval base were focusing in particular on young prisoners with little likely intelligence information or criminal links, he said.
Powell did not give details on the agreements.
About 675 Taliban and al Qaeda members are being held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. They were captured during the US-led war that began right after the September 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks on U.S. landmarks.
Most of the hijackers were Saudi nationals. The U.S. blames the attacks on Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.
Prisoners at Guantanamo have been held without charge and without being permitted access to a lawyer, drawing criticism from human rights activists. Amnesty International has demanded that all those held at Guantanamo be charged or released.
The United States has released a total of 41 prisoners from Guantanamo, including some released in the past two weeks.
US officials have said they will free prisoners when it is determined they no longer pose a threat to the United States.
US officials said last week the United States has turned five Saudi prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay over to authorities in the kingdom.
Saudi media later quoted Interior Minister Prince Nayef as saying the five, who were among about 100 Saudis held at Guantanamo Bay, were now being held in Saudi prisons and would be tried in due course.