The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz chaired the Cabinet’s weekly session at Al-Yamamah Palace here today.
At the outset of the session, King Fahd briefed the Cabinet on consultations held in the past week, notably with President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. Talks with the Egyptian President focused on developments in regional and international arenas, particularly Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Information, Dr Fouad bin Abdulsalam Al-Farsy, said that the King highlighted the efforts exerted by the Kingdom to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people and alleviate their suffering amidst the difficult circumstances resulting from war.
The Cabinet discussed the implications of the Iraq war for the security and stability of the region and the world. It expressed its concern to preserve Iraq’s security, unity, independence, and territorial integrity, and to promote the right of the Iraqi people to self-determination, with the support of the United Nations, to form an interim government in preparation for the establishment of a broad-based constitutional government.
The Cabinet also pointed out the negative consequences of the escalation of Israeli aggression in occupied territories for the region, and the necessity of ending the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people. It expressed hope that the ‘road map’ to peace would be supported by the international community, and implemented imminently.
The Cabinet then reviewed a number of topics on the domestic agenda, and issued the following decisions:
The Cabinet authorized the relevant authorities in the Kingdom to implement the resolution issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s 23rd Summit in Doha, upon recommendations of the GCC Defence Ministers’ 21st Conference in Muscat 22-23/8/1423 H., taking into consideration the contents of other articles of the resolution.
The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Interior or his deputy to discuss with the Polish side a draft agreement on security cooperation between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of Poland, to sign the agreement, and forward its final version to authorities for further legal procedures.
The Cabinet approved a general agreement on cooperation in economic, commercial, investment, technical, cultural, sports and youth fields between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of Democratic Federal Republic of Ethiopia.
The Council of Ministers approved a proposal submitted by the Minister of Finance and National Economy to extend the validity of an agreement concluded between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of France to evade dual taxation on income and inheritance. The extension of the agreement for a period of five additional years, effective from 1 January 2004, also covers the protocol annexed to the agreement.
The Minister of Finance and National Economy was authorized to notify the Council of Governors of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa of the acceptance of the Kingdom’s Government to amend Article 12 of the Bank’s constitutional agreement.
The Arab Cement Company won a concession to exploit clay ore at a site of 2,840,801 square metres in Hurrat Khulais in Makkah Region.
The Council of Ministers authorized the Chairman of King Abdul Aziz City for Sciences and Technology or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft agreement on scientific and technological cooperation between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of South Africa.
Source: SPA
