RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Cabinet on Tuesday reiterated the Kingdom's position that the international community must take a firm stand toward Iran, and deal seriously against its violations related to its nuclear program. The Cabinet pledged Saudi Arabia's support for initiatives calling for creating geographic regions free of nuclear weapons and the Kingdom's willingness to work with the international community to make the Middle East a zone free of these weapons. The Cabinet addressed the urgent measures issued by the emergency meeting of Arab environment ministers and made an appeal to avoid a potential environmental catastrophe due to the failure to maintain the oil tanker Safer, anchored off Ras Issa oil port, in the Red Sea, since 2015. The Saudi Cabinet called on all Arab, regional and international countries to cooperate in taking the necessary steps leading to addressing the situation, which poses a serious threat to all coastal countries of the Red Sea, especially Saudi Arabia and Yemen. At the outset of the virtual session of the Cabinet, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman expressed his sincere condolences and sympathy to the family of Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti people and to the Arab and Islamic nations on the death of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques expressed his congratulations to Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on assuming power, praying to Allah to help him to serve Kuwait and its people. King Salman expressed thanks and appreciation to the leaders and officials of the brotherly and friendly countries who expressed their congratulations on Saudi Arabia's 90th National Day and to the citizens for the noble feelings. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi which reviewed bilateral, solid and historic relations and discussed joint opportunities for their development. The Cabinet commended the contents of Saudi Arabia's speech delivered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques before the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which emphasized the Kingdom's continued commitment, as chair of the Group of Twenty (G20), to advance efforts of the international response in order to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, address its humanitarian and economic implications and consolidate the Kingdom's approach in its regional and international environment and its policy that is based on respect for the international laws and norms. The Cabinet added that the speech reflected the Kingdom's continuous pursuit to achieve security, stability, and prosperity as a strategic choice, its call for coexistence, peace and moderation, solidarity among the countries of the world and peoples in addressing the exceptional common humanitarian challenges facing the world and supporting the political solutions to conflicts as well as combating extremism in all its forms and manifestations. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, Acting Minister of Media Majid Al-Qasabi pointed out that the Cabinet welcomed the Kingdom's announcement that the G20 Leaders' Summit for 2020 will be held virtually under the chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on its scheduled date on Nov. 21-22, in light of the global conditions associated with the pandemic. Al-Qasabi said the Cabinet appreciated the international efforts led by the G20 countries, which resulted in providing more than $21 billion to support the production of diagnostic and therapeutic tools as well as distribution and availability of vaccines, in addition to pumping more than $11 trillion to protect the global economy and providing more than $14 billion to mitigate the debt burdens in the least developed countries to fund their health systems and social programs. The Cabinet reviewed the developments of the Coronavirus pandemic at the local and international levels and the efforts made by the concerned authorities with the producers of the anti-virus vaccines. The Cabinet followed up on the preparations and operational plans of the concerned authorities for the gradual resumption of Umrah and visits to the Two Holy Mosques. The Cabinet appreciated the relentless efforts undertaken by the Presidency of State Security and its employees in following up and tracking down the criminal elements that pose a threat to the country's security, capabilities, and social peace while referring to the break-up of a terrorist cell whose elements received military and field training inside sites in the Revolutionary Guard in Iran. The Cabinet pointed to Saudi Arabia's concern over and interest in the developments of the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, urging both parties to cease fire and resolve the conflict peacefully in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Cabinet reviewed topics on its agenda, including some being co-studied by the Shoura Council.
