April 21, 2006

THE SAUDI COUNCIL OF MINISTERS EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF CROWN PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ'S VISITS TO JAPAN, SINGAPORE AND PAKISTAN. THE CABINET EMPHASIZES THAT COUNTRIES SHOULD REVIEW THEIR STANDS ON ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE SINCE THEIR SUSPENSION IS CONSIDERED A COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet's weekly session at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the contents of contacts, meetings and consultations held over the previous days with presidents and envoys of countries and governments. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques stressed that the Kingdom continually seeks to enhance its national interests, to support Arab and Muslim causes, to strengthen joint institutional works, and to extend bridges to world cultures and communities. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also affirmed that the Kingdom has permanently adopted the language of dialogue and laid stress on the assembly of countries, communities and peoples. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad bin Amin Madani said that the Cabinet was briefed by the Crown Prince on his recent tour of Japan, Singapore and Pakistan. The Cabinet emphasized the importance of the visits, which come in the framework of the Kingdom's keenness on and interest in its world strategic relations. On the Palestinian issue, the Cabinet stressed that the track of peace and rapprochement can not be pursued by unilateral measures or the isolation of the Palestinian people. It emphasized that countries should review their stands on assistance to the Palestinian people since their suspension is considered a collective punishment of the people who have been deprived of the simplest national and human rights. The minister noted that the Cabinet welcomed the convention of the second meeting of Saudi-British conference on economic, cultural and academic relations between the two countries and considered it an example of the Kingdom's initiative for creating channels of contacts and achieving rapprochement among societies. The Minister of Culture and Information said the Cabinet then reviewed the local items on its agenda and issued the following decisions: An Assistant Under Secretariat for Survey and Lands will be established at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and an Assistant Under Secretariat for Corporeal Registration of Real Estate will be set up at the Ministry of Justice. On the recommendation of the Shoura Council, the Cabinet approved the Contractors Classification System. The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Agriculture or his deputy to discuss with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization a renewal for five more years the Technical Cooperation Agreement on Funds-in-Trust No. 2 (previously 117) concluded between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and FAO. On the recommendation of the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Cabinet approved the appointment of Dr. Talal bin Mustafa Qadi, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Albassam and Dr. Ali bin Mohammed Alsibyani as members of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Geological Survey Commission for three years, effective 1/5/1427 H. The Cabinet approved the appointment of Dr. Abdulrahim bin Mashna bin Safar Alghamdi as Director General of Legal Affairs and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Interior, Nassir bin Mohammed bin Finais Algahtani as Consultant for Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Transport, and Mohammed bin Sulaiman bin Mohammed Alamro as Minister Plenipotentiary (A) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the other hand the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a telephone call from the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad. They reviewed bilateral relations as well as the latest developments in the region and the on-going efforts to enhance the pillars of the global security and peace. Also Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defense And Aviation Minister And Inspector General, received senior officers of the armed forces and a group of citizens who came to greet him. The meeting was attended by Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs, and a number of officials.