Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet meeting today at the Royal Court at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. 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 his meeting with Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz which concentrated on the bilateral fraternal relations between the two countries. He also briefed the cabinet on the messages he received from Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani as well as Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Moheiaddin Khoja said that the Cabinet also reviewed the recommendations of the 36th Meeting of Islamic Countries' Foreign Ministers held in Damascus last Saturday, expressing hope that these will help enhance cooperation between these countries and will eventually help overcome whatever obstacles and threats that might arise regionally and internationally. Dr. Khoja added that the cabinet also hailed the 8th Meeting of Islamic Affairs Ministers held last Saturday in Riyadh as well as other religious, economic and social events. He added that the cabinet valued the appreciation expressed by the participants for the continuous successes made by the Kingdom concerning the awareness-raising programs, dialogue as well as enhancing pre-emptive measures against terrorism and extremism. The Cabinet also hailed the King's call for inter-faith dialogue as the only way for bridging cultural gaps as well as achieving informative communication. --More
