RIYADH: The Saudi Council of Ministers has praised Brazil and Argentina for their recognition of the state of Palestine based on 1967 borders, describing the move as a “significant development in international support for the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people”. The Cabinet also warned of escalating Israeli violations in occupied Palestinian territories, Israel's acts of destruction, settlement building and the Judaization of Jerusalem. It called on the Arab and Muslim Ummah to take a “firm stand against these violations that lead to the destabilization of situation in the region and the world”. Chairing the weekly meeting Monday, Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, expressed on behalf of King Abdullah, the government and people's appreciation for the outcome of the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 31st Supreme Council meeting in the United Arab Emirates. The Crown Prince said that the Supreme Council's decisions “represented the hopes and aims of GCC member countries”, and he also thanked the GCC leaders for the concern shown for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah. The Crown Prince looked forward to welcoming GCC heads, whose next meeting is scheduled to be convened in Saudi Arabia. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency following the meeting that ministers looked at developments in the region and abroad, addressed the various scientific, social and economic activities in the Kingdom over the last week, and reviewed the 16th conference of countries, that are party to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and the sixth conference of the signatories of the Kyoto Protocol, which were held in Cancun, Mexico, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, 2010. The Cabinet authorized the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to sign an agreement with Qatar on four draft agreements between Saudi Arabia and Qatar on crime, prisoner transfer and exchange, and organization of border personnel, within the framework of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council. Ministers further approved a joint protection of investments agreement signed in Riyadh in 2009 by Saudi Arabia and the Czech Republic.
