Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired today at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh the Cabinet's session. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the cabinet on the discussions, consultations, meetings and contacts he made over the past few days with leaders and envoys of friendly countries including the messages he received from Egyptian President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, his meeting with Bahrain's Premier Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa as well as with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Moheiaddin Khoja said the Cabinet was briefed by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal on outcomes of the Arab Consultative Ministerial Meeting held recently in Jordan's Capital Amman which discussed the need for a unified Arab stance on the peace process in the Middle East. Prince Al Faisal also stressed the importance of swift action to push on with the peace process which calls for a Palestinian independent and viable state. He also added that the establishment of peace must be compatible with internationally reached agreements and the Arab Peace Initiative and that the international community and the US, in particular, should exercise required pressure on Israel so that it fulfills its commitments and obligations towards peace including the freeze of settlements. Dr. Khoja added that the cabinet also denounced the recent negative statements made by the Israeli government stressing that such statements do not serve peace in the region. --More
