The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet s session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the official talks with the Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, confirming that the talks during which agreements and programs of cooperation were signed embody deep relations between the two friendly countries and peoples and their looking forward to strengthening and developing them in all aspects, especially the cooperation in trade, investment, energy and technological fields and the increase of the trade exchange to achieve the strategic partnership between the two countries and serve their joint interests. The King also briefed the Cabinet on the written message received from King Mohammed VI of Kingdom of Morocco and the verbal message conveyed from President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of People s Democratic Republic of Algeria and the results of his meetings with a delegation of United States Congress headed by Senator Lindsey Graham and a delegation of Middle East Group from British Conservative Party headed by Member of Parliament Alan Duncan. The Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Adel bin Zaid Altoraifi said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency following the session that the Cabinet commended the joint statement issued after the Prime Minister of India s visit to the Kingdom and its emphasis on the importance of continuing strengthening of the bilateral strategic relations within the framework of their responsibilities for the promotion of peace, stability and security in the region and the world, and the statement s appreciation of the successful shift in their bilateral relations in political, economic, security, defense and manpower fields and communication between the two peoples in recent years. The Cabinet reviewed the latest developments at Arab, regional and international arenas, stressing the Kingdom's firm positions on a number of events and its support for all matters for the achievement of global security and stability, indicating the Kingdom's announcement on its donation of ten million dollars for the establishment of a specialized center for nuclear counterterrorism at the headquarters of International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna and its donation of five hundred thousand Euros for the modernization project of the Agency's laboratories in Seibersdorf emanating from its support for the international resolutions relevant to the nuclear security and its special interest in the issue of infrastructure development of the nuclear security. The Cabinet commended the final statement issued by the countries participating in the Fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington and its emphasis on the commitment to nuclear disarmament and its non-proliferation, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, commitment to prevent the arrival of nuclear weapons into the hands of extremists, and the importance of information exchange and international cooperation to combat nuclear and radiological terrorism. The Minister pointed out that the Cabinet renewed the Kingdom's strong condemnation of the heinous massacre committed by Bashar Al-Assad's forces against Deir El-Asafeer district in the Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, resulted in the killing of scores of people, most of them children and women, noting that this massacre confirms the continuation of Bashar Al-Assad in his crimes against the Syrian people, violation of the cessation of hostilities and insistence on thwarting all existing international efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis politically. The Cabinet also reiterated, in this context, the Kingdom's confirmation of the need that countries, especially the developed ones, hold their international responsibility in alleviating the sufferings of the Syrian people. Concerning domestic affairs, the Cabinet stressed that crowning the winners of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Local Award Competition for Holy Quran Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation for Boys and Girls in its 18th session embodies his attention accorded to the Holy Quran and its memorizers, and the need that the homeland's citizens have to be characterized by the ethics of the Holy Quran and the biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Dr. Adel bin Zaid Altoraifi said that the Cabinet was briefed on the issues listed on its agenda, some of them were reviewed by the Shura Council. The Cabinet issued the following decisions: First: The Cabinet approved the final accounts of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority for the two fiscal years (1433/1434 AH) and (1434/1435 AH). Second: The Cabinet approved the agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for the management and investment of groundwater in Tabghat Al- Sag and Al- Disi) which was signed in Riyadh on 11/07/1436 AH. Third: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Commerce and Industry or his deputy to discuss with the Egyptian side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of trade and industry between the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Egypt, sign it, and forward the final version for further authentication. Fourth: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Labor or his deputy to discuss with the Russian side a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of labor cooperation between the Ministry of Labor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, sign it, and then forward the final version to complete the legal procedures. Fifth: The Cabinet approved the appointment of Eng. Ali bin Osman Al-Rakban as member of the Board of Public Transport Commission as representative of the private sector. Sixth : The Council of Ministers authorized the Minister of Housing, or his deputy, to discuss with the Turkish side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of housing between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic Turkey, sign it, and then forward the final version for further authentication. Seventh : The Cabinet approved the following appointments: 1 - Ali bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Qahtani as Petroleum Consultant in 15th rank at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. 2 - Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Hasan as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 3 - Eng. Ajab bin Abdullah bin Shamroch Al-Qahtani as Mayor of Al-Joaf region at the 14th rank at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. The Cabinet was briefed on the number of public issues, including the draft of memorandum of understanding in the field of Islamic Affairs and Endowments between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Muftis Shura Council of Russia and the Central religious administration of the Muslims of the Russian Federation. The Cabinet directed the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance to complete discussion and sign the above-mentioned draft memorandum. The Cabinet was also briefed on the proposal of the Minister of Health to launch a comprehensive national program to promote safety in medical facilities, and made relevant instructions regarding the program.
