The Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the cabinet's session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday. At the outset of the session, Prince Sultan briefed the cabinet on the contents of meetings and communications held over the previous days, and commended the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in enhancing the Kingdom's relations with brotherly and friendly countries and in promoting these relations in various fields. The cabinet also appreciated the monarch's efforts in enhancing cooperation in vital fields including the transfer of technology, education, training and scientific research, and valued his work and initiative for achieving peace, stability and prosperity at regional and international arenas. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of State, Cabinet's Member for Shoura Council Affairs and Acting Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Saud bin Saeed Al-Mathami said that the cabinet reviewed reports on the latest regional developments of the situations in the Middle East in particular. The cabinet expressed its hope to activate the articles of the statement issued by the enlarged meeting of Iraq's neighboring countries, Egypt, Bahrain, permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Group of Eight which concluded in Istanbul last Saturday on alleviating the human suffering of the Iraqi people and assisting them to overcome the tragic situations facing them. The cabinet renewed the Kingdom's continual emphasis on the importance of supporting Iraq's unity, maintaining its independence and sovereignty and refraining from intervention in its internal affairs; and the council re-affirmed the Kingdom's vision of holding the same regard for all Iraqi people in their diversities and strata without any sectarian, doctrinal or ethnic classification. --More
