The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh on Monday afternoon. At the outset of the session, the King briefed the Cabinet on the phone calls received from King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and President Barack Obama of the United States of America and made to President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, the results of his talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud of Federal Republic of Somalia and President Idriss Deby Itno of Republic of Chad, and his meeting with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. The Minister of Social Affairs and Acting Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Majed bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency following the session that the Cabinet reviewed the latest developments in the region and the results of international meetings and consultations on them, and in this context, it was briefed on the joint statement issued in Vienna on finding a political solution to end the Syrian crisis agreed by 17 countries which reached the common understanding on a number of points, expressing hope that the participants will reach in their next discussions an agreement in the visions and the unification of ranks and discourse to ensure a better future for Syria. The Cabinet expressed the Kingdom's condemnation of the continuation of Israeli occupation authorities and settlers of committing crimes against Palestinian citizens and the Islamic holy sites, and the continuation of the Israeli army's policy of field executions and committing the worst forms of the organized terrorism against the Palestinian people, calling on the international community to move quickly to provide protection for the Palestinian people and lift injustice on them. The Cabinet expressed its sincere condolences to the two Governments and peoples of the Republics of Pakistan and Afghanistan on the devastating earthquake inflicted them last week, praying to Allah Almighty to bestow mercy on the souls of the deceased and a speedy recovery for the injured. The Cabinet also expressed its deep condolences to the Russian Federation, leadership and people on the victims of the Russian plane that crashed over Sinai. On domestic affairs, the Cabinet stressed on the contents of the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, upon receiving the Minister of Culture and Information; senior intellectuals; newspaper editors in chief; writers and media personnel, and his keenness on Kingdom's society cohesion, brotherhood, love and co-operation on the right and piety and his view that the Kingdom's media is always following the approach of the holy Quran and Prophetic Sunnah upon which the State was based since its inception, enjoying security and stability. The Cabinet also expressed its strong condemnation of the terrorist bombing that targeted Al-Mashhad mosque in Al-Dhahdh in the city of Najran, stressing that the terrorist attacks have not increased citizens in the Kingdom but more coherence and unity as well as more awareness of the schemes of these terrorists and those who stand behind them targeting the Kingdom's security, stability and cohesion, praying to Allah Almighty to grant mercy and forgiveness on the souls of the deceased and a speedy recovery for the injured. The Cabinet also stressed the importance of the 6th Ministerial meeting of Pioneering Forum for Separating and Storing Carbon which will be organized by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the presence of about 250 ministers, officials and experts in the field of energy, environment and sustainable development, due to be taken place one month before United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) to be held on 30 November-11 December 2015 in Paris, which is considered as a starting base to reinforce what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the host country to the Forum, is provided of support and commitments over the long years for the clean energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions without affecting economic growth, social development or environmental protection. The Cabinet was briefed on the topics listed on its agenda, including issues the Shura Council has co-shared in their study. The Cabinet decided the following: First : The Cabinet agreed to authorize the Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudi Fund for Development - or his deputy - to discuss with the Sudanese side draft framework agreements between the Ministry of Finance (Saudi Fund for Development) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Sudan on the following: 1 - Financing dams projects. 2 - Contributing to the thirst eradication plan in the Sudanese countryside and watering for (2015-2020). 3 - An urgent project to address the electricity shortage. And sign them, before submitting the final signed copies to complete the legal procedures. Second: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Agriculture - or his deputy - to discuss with the Sudanese side a draft framework agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity in the Republic of Sudan regarding the partnership in agricultural investment in Upper Atbara agricultural project, and sign it before submitting the final signed version to complete the legal procedures. Third: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Commerce and Industry - or his deputy - to discuss with the British side a draft cooperation program in the field of localization of British Industries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and training and qualification of Saudi cadres between the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and sign it, within the framework of the Saudi-British Joint Committee. Fourth: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Labor - or his deputy - to discuss with the British side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of labor between the Ministry of Labor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Employment in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and sign it, before submitting the final signed version to complete the legal procedures. Fifth: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Foreign Affairs - or his deputy - to discuss with the Dutch side a draft memorandum of understanding on political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and sign it before submitting the final signed version to complete legal procedures. Sixth: The Cabinet approved the final account of Saudi Fund for Development for the fiscal year (2014-2015). Seventh: The Cabinet approved the results reached by the technical committee in charge of developing the executive plan for the transfer of employees and posts (job vacancies and occupied posts), belongings and documents as well as the transfer of the financial allocations concerning the activity of school health from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health in accordance with the details contained in the resolution. Eighth: The Cabinet approved the formation of a permanent committee in King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable with the participation of specialists from the relevant bodies; its mission shall be to unify and coordinate the measures to be carried out by those bodies due to the full implementation of the agreement concluded between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and International Atomic Energy Agency for the application of safeguards under the Treaty on Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; and the Committee can be assisted in need by representatives of other bodies to enable it to perform its missions. Ninth: The Cabinet approved an amendment to the regulation of Electricity and Co-Generation Regulatory Authority to be as follows: 'Regions Cooling: The central production of thermal energy and its distribution by using chilled water or any other mean by insulated pipes for cooling or warming air in buildings and facilities. Tenth: The Cabinet authorized the President of National Anti-Corruption Commission or his deputy to discuss with the Indonesian side a draft memorandum of understanding between the National Anti-Corruption Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Indonesian Anti-Corruption Commission in the Republic of Indonesia on prevention and fight against corruption, sign it , and then submit the final version to complete the necessary legal procedures. The Cabinet was briefed on the annual report of General Organization for King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center for the fiscal year (1434/1435 AH), and the two annual reports of the General Authority for Survey for fiscal years (1433/1434 AH) and (1434/1435 AH), and issued its directives in this regard.
