Saudi cabinet praises security forces' successful crackdown on narcotics

Crown Prince Sultan receives Second Deputy Premier, Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz

GCC welcomes U.S. President Obama's speech

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait sign Gulf monetary pact deal

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, received a telephone call from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

During the call, they reviewed the relations between the two brotherly countries and discussed the latest developments at Arab and international arenas.

King Abdullah also chaired the Cabinet meeting at the Royal Court at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the cabinet on his meeting with US President Barack Obama which focused mainly on enhancing the bilateral and fraternal relations between the two countries as well as on issues of the region with the Palestinian cause topping the agenda. He also stressed that this new phase of US history lays foundation for a new and positive relations between Muslim and Arab World and the US.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Moheiaddin Khoja said the Cabinet regarded Obama's speech addressed to the Muslim and Arab Worlds in Cairo as a new sign setting the environment for a constructive and effective dialogue with the US as well as with other civilizations which in turn will help attend to decisive issues in the region and across the world.

The cabinet also pointed out that President Obama's call for an enhanced common cooperation among nations comes in support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' call for inter-faith dialogues, a call derived from the teachings of Islam that preaches tolerance, cooperation, peace, justice, respect and love.

He added that the King also briefed the cabinet on the discussions, consultations, meetings and contacts he made over the few previous days with leaders and envoys of friendly countries including the messages he received from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, His Majesty King of Spain as well as Spanish Premier.

Dr. Khoja also added that the cabinet discussed the region's latest developments expressing happiness over the success of the elections in Lebanon. It also expressed hope that such success will lead to a more secure, stable and prosperous Lebanon. It also hailed the way the elections were handled as well as gestures by candidates calling for unity and appeasement.

The cabinet also valued the national reconciliation agreement among Mauritanian political forces signed on Thursday, hoping it will speak to the Mauritanian people's hopes and aspirations.

The cabinet also stressed the importance of the signing by the foreign ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait yesterday of the Monetary Union Agreement which is an important step toward the building of the monetary union institutions embodied in the monetary council and the central bank which will administer the zone of the unified currency among the member countries later and establish the necessary legal and legislative regulations.

Domestically, the cabinet listened to a briefing from Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister, on efforts of the security agencies at the Ministry of Interior including the latest foiling of an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of narcotics to the kingdom through its land and sea borders. The cabinet praised the efforts and courage of the security men in protecting the society from the scourge of narcotics.

Dr. Khoja concluded that after closely reviewing its agenda, the cabinet approved the following:

First: the cabinet authorized the Minster of Higher Education-- or his deputy-- to discuss with the Turkmenistan's side the preparation of a draft memorandum of scientific and educational cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education and the Turkmenistan's Minister of Education.

Second: the cabinet authorized the governor of the General Organization of Social Insurance to discuss a draft memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of social insurance between the Saudi General Organization of Social Insurance and its Yemeni counterpart.

Third: the cabinet approved the following:

1- renewal of the membership Dr. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Alghonaim (from the private sector) in the board of directors of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation for three years starting 2/9/1430H.,

2- appointment of Ahmad bin Farid Ala'olaqi (from the private sector) to membership of the board of directors of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation for three years starting from the date of this decision's application.

Fourth: the cabinet approved a number of appointments at the 15th and 14th ranks as follows:

1- Abdulwahab bin Hamad bin Abdulwahab Albabteen is appointed to the position of administrative advisor (rank 15) at the National Guard,

2- Ali bin Ibrahim bin Ali Alsodais is appointed to the position of assistant undersecretary of the western sector (rand 14) at the National Guard,

3- Saad bin Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Alzaid is appointed to the position of director general of administrative and financial affairs (rank 14) at the general presidency of scholarly research and ifta.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his palace on Wednesday evening Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior who came to greet the Crown Prince and to be reassured about his health.

Prince Naif was accompanied by Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz; Prince Khalid bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz; Prince Nawaf bin Naif bin Abdulaziz.

The audience was attended by Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh Region, and a number of princes and officials.

Crown Prince Abdullah also received Sunday evening at his palace in Agadir, Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz, who came to greet the Crown Prince and to be reassured about his health.

Prince Turki was accompanied by Prince Khalid bin Turki bin Abdulaziz; Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Abdulaziz, Advisor at Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Prince Abdulrahman bin Turki bin Abdulaziz.

The audience was attended by Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh region; a number of princes and officials.

On the other hand, Gulf countries on Monday urged US President Barack Obama to act quickly to implement the new approach to Middle East policy that he set out in his speech in Cairo last week.

The six states in the Gulf Cooperation Council praised Obama for the "new and serious approach" on the Middle East expressed in the Cairo address, GCC secretary general Abdulrahman al Attiya said after a meeting of member countries' foreign ministers.

In coming months the ministers "expect urgent and serious initiatives to convert the new attitudes and reassuring policies into deeds," he said.

In Thursday's speech in Cairo, given the day after a visit to Saudi Arabia, Obama called for a complete freeze on Jewish settlements, including "natural growth," in the West Bank and expressed his commitment to a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The GCC ministers called for pressure to be applied to Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli government to make it accept the idea of Palestinian and Israeli states existing alongside each other in peace and security "based on the Arab peace initiative, UN resolutions and the principle of land for peace," Attiya said.

Arab newspaper Al-Hayat on Sunday reported Saudi King Abdullah as saying Arabs were losing patience with the Middle East peace stalemate and calling on Obama to "impose a solution."

"We want from you a serious engagement to solve the Palestinian question and impose a solution if necessary," Abdullah reportedly told Obama during their talks last Wednesday, according to "informed sources" quoted in the report.

Netanyahu's government has agreed to stop the creation of new settlements but wants to continue building within existing settlements. It has yet to agree to the concept of an independent Palestinian state.

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Four members of the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council signed an accord in the Saudi capital on Sunday to create a monetary union, a GCC spokesman said.

Foreign ministers from four of the six GCC countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia - agreed to set up a monetary council in Riyadh this year as a precursor to the ultimate goal of establishing a common currency, the spokesman said.

Oman announced in 2007 that it would not join, while the United Arab Emirates, a key regional financial and commercial hub, pulled out last month after the GCC decided to base the future regional central bank in Riyadh.

The UAE had expressed reservations over the monetary union after an informal GCC summit in Saudi Arabia on May 5 decided that Riyadh, which is home to the GCC headquarters, would host the future banking authority, while the UAE was the first member to request hosting the central bank.

The monetary union date was originally set for 2010 but analysts consider that unrealistic given the global economic slowdown. Reports suggest that 2013 is the new target.