Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, today chaired the Cabinet’s weekly session at Al-Yamamah Palace.
At the outset of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on talks at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit in Egypt last Tuesday. The Cabinet expressed its appreciation to the Crown Prince for his efforts at the Summit to present the Kingdom’s stance in support of the Palestinian cause, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.
The Crown Prince also reviewed recent talks held on the sidelines of the Group of Eight Industrialized Countries Summit in the French city of Evian. During the Summit, the Crown Prince presented viewpoints reflecting the political and economic situation in the region, and emphasized the necessity of international cooperation to combat terrorism. He stressed the Kingdom’s utter condemnation of terrorism in all its forms, and its determination to support all international efforts to combat the phenomenon.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Culture and Information, Dr Fouad bin Abdulsalam Al-Farsy, said that the Crown Prince noted the government’s diligent efforts to eradicate terrorism in the Kingdom. The Crown Prince praised the achievements of Saudi security forces in this regard, and the cooperation of citizens and residents to maintain the Kingdom’s security and stability.
The Cabinet discussed recent events in the region, including the Aqaba Summit, which was recently held in Jordan and attended by U.S. President George W. Bush, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and the Palestinian and Israeli sides. It urged the international community to exert pressure on Israel to end its occupation, establish an independent Palestinian state according to the resolutions of international legitimacy, and to complete negotiations with Syria and Lebanon.
The Council then continued its discussions of the items on its agenda, and issued the following decisions:
The Cabinet approved an agreement on flight and sea transportation services between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the two parts of the Republic of Cyprus, which was initially signed in Jeddah on 22 April 2002.
The Cabinet approved an authors’ rights bill, which was passed by the Shoura Council. The law protects indigenous intellectual composition in the fields of literature, arts and science, including books, lectures, plastic art works, architectural designs, computer programs, translation works, work summaries and encyclopaedia. Exempted from the law are judicial rules and daily items published in newspapers, magazines and at broadcasting stations. Folklore is considered to fall under public ownership, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The law also explains the moral and financial rights of the author, and means of transferring those rights. It states the behaviour considered by the law as a breach of those rights, which are protected by the law. This law will be effective after six months of its publication in the official Gazette, and will replace the former law issued in a Royal Decree on 19/5/1410H.
The Cabinet approved the appointment of Dr Salih bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Namlah, Assistant Professor at King Saudi University, as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Information for External Information; Dr Salih bin Hussein bin Abdullah Al-Awaji as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Water and Electricity for Electricity Affairs; Dr Oqab bin Saqr bin Awad Al-Mitairi as Director General of the Special Office of the Governor of Makkah Region, and Dr Salih bin Ibrahim bin Mohammed Babaeer as Chief of the Official Translation Department for the Commission of Experts at the Council of Ministers.
Source: SPA
