RIYADH — The Council of Ministers on Tuesday reiterated the Kingdom's call to the international community that it must work to compel Iran to respect the sovereignty of states in the Middle East region as well as to abide by the international laws and treaties, and stop undermining the security of the region. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the weekly session of the Cabinet at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Turki Al-Shabanah said that the Cabinet renewed the Kingdom's condemnation of the Iranian aggression and its violation of the Iraqi sovereignty by targeting two Iraqi military bases where international coalition forces to fight Daesh (so called IS) are located, and its affirmation to stand with the people of Iraq to overcome everything that threatens its security, stability and Arab togetherness. Al-Shabanah said the Cabinet offered its sincere condolences to Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq of Oman, as well as to the royal family, the Omani people, and the Arab and Islamic nations on the death of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. The Council also congratulated Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq on the occasion of his assumption of power, wishing him all the best and every success in continuing the Sultanate's march to prosperity and development. While expressing the Kingdom's strong denunciation of the bombing of a mosque in southwest Pakistan, which led to a number of deaths and injuries, the Cabinet stressed the Kingdom's rejection of violating the sanctity of mosques, as well as bloodshed, and intimidation of people. Al-Shabanah said the Cabinet highlighted the international progress achieved by the Kingdom in the field of humanitarian assistance while emerging top in the Arab world and fifth position globally, saying that this ranking by the United Nations Financial Tracking Service 2019 confirms to the unlimited support of the King and the Crown Prince toward humanitarian and relief work. The Cabinet also affirmed the Kingdom's continuous efforts to boost its international partnerships in the field of combating corruption. In this regard, the Council pointed to the Kingdom's statement, during the meeting of the Conference of the States Parties to the Arab Convention against Corruption in the Moroccan capital, emphasizing its keenness to issue necessary legislations, as well as to take measures needed to protect integrity and combat corruption, money laundering, and meeting international standards and requirements in its capacity as the first Arab country to join the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Cabinet appointed Princess Haifa Bint Muhammad Bin Saud as a member of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation as a representative of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH). It also appointed Ahmed Al-Dakhil, Kamal Al-Johani and Saud Al-Gharabi as members of the private sector in the Board of Directors of the Saudi Accreditation Center. Al-Shabanah said the Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology with Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology for cooperation in the field of communications and information technology. It also approved an agreement between the governments of the Kingdom and Chad in the field of air transport services.
