Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, chaired the weekly session held by the Council of Ministers at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Monday afternoon . The Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) after the meeting that the Council reviewed a number of reports related to a number of issues as well as regional and international events. The Council of Ministers expressed congratulations to Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, on his assumption of the reins of power in the State of Qatar, and prayed to Allah Almighty to guide him to achieve further progress and prosperity for the State of Qatar and its people, and expressed deep appreciation to Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani for his great efforts in the development of the State of Qatar and his keenness to strengthen ties of brotherhood and services of the causes of the region. The minister said that the Council addressed the developments of the Syrian crisis and the Syrian people's suffering from genocide practiced by the illegitimate regime with the participation of foreign forces in defiance of all laws and international norms and principles as it exposed the Syrian lands and made them vulnerable to sectarian conflicts. The Council called on the international community to move quickly to provide protection for the Syrian people and help them to defend themselves in the face of the heinous crimes committed against them. The Cabinet once again stressed the Kingdom's demand for the immediate commencement of the implementation of the EU decision to lift the ban on arming the Syrian opposition, and the issuance of a clear international decision banning the provision of weapons to the illegitimate Syrian regime. The Council commended in this regard the statement of the second consultative meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States and the contents of the statement issued by the twenty third session of the Joint Ministerial meeting between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union in Bahrain. Then, the cabinet reviewed a number of subjects on local affairs including preparations of various sectors for the holy month of Ramadan and prepared plans and procedures to maintain the security and safety of worshipers, particularly during the Umrah peak season and the Holy Grand Mosque's expansion . --More 15:04 LOCAL TIME 12:04 GMT تغريد
