The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet s session held at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh today. At the outset of the meeting, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the outcomes of his talks and meetings with each of President Abdullah Yameen Abdulqayoom of the Republic of The Maldives; Italian Defense minister; Japanese minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; and Japanese minister of state for Foreign Affairs, whereas bilateral relations as well as the developments at the regional and international arenas were discussed during those meetings as well as the verbal message received by the monarch from President Issoufou Muhamadou of the Republic of Niger. The Cabinet lauded the results of Al-Khaleej (Gulf) 1 shield maneuvers which were carried out by the Saudi royal naval forces- Eastern Fleet- in the Arab Gulf and Oman Sea waters across Hormz Straight as well as the joint aerial drill called Al-Jazeerah (peninsula) Eagle (2016 fighters) in the United Arab Emirates with the participation of air forces of the GCC member states. The report included the cooperation, congruence and fighting and operational preparedness upgrading of the GCC forces which was reached during the exercise. Minister of Commerce and Investment Dr. Majed bin Abdullah Al-Gasbi, who is acting minister of Culture and Information, confirmed in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the meeting, that the Cabinet dealt with the Kingdom s participation in the annual joint meetings of the World Bank and the IMF and the meeting of the G20 which were held in Washington, highlighting the efforts of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia exerted in implementing economic reforms as part of the national transformation program to achieve the Kingdom s vision 2030 and confirming that the application of those reforms would yield a strong, balanced and sustainable economic growth and activates the role of the private sector in enhancing job opportunities and economic growth. The Cabinet reiterates the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia s confirmation on the legitimate right of the Middle Eastern countries in the peaceful usage of nuclear energy according to the International Agency for Atomic Energy standards, measures and control and the Kingdom s assertion voiced before the 71st general assembly of the United Nations on the importance of implementing the Agreement on Barring the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria. --More
