JEDDAH — The Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman on Tuesday at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, endorsed the Kingdom’s efforts to boost economic cooperation with various countries, by stimulating the public and private sectors and continuing the exchange of visits among businesspeople.

The Cabinet commended the outcome of the Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030 meeting, which resulted in the signing of 26 memorandums and agreements in vital economic sectors, as well as the outcome of the Saudi-Turkish Investment Forum, which resulted in the signing of nine memorandums of understanding in several fields.

The Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the content of the two letters that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman sent to the presidents of South Africa and Central Africa, and on the outcome of his official talks with the president of Turkiye and the prime minister of Japan, during which Saudi relations with these two countries were reviewed, and views on various regional and international issues were exchanged.

The Cabinet tackled the signing of a number of agreements in various fields with Turkiye, and the launching of the KSA-Japan Lighthouse Initiative for Clean Energy Cooperation, which is expected to guide the endeavors of other countries and regions of the world in developing strategies and plans to achieve their net-zero emission ambitions.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Media Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the Cabinet also discussed the 18th Consultative Meeting of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Gulf-Central Asia Summit, which will take place in Jeddah on July 19, 2023, and wished officials taking part in it success in strengthening solidarity and cooperation.

The Cabinet followed up on the current political issues in the Arab and international arenas, especially the efforts aimed at restoring security and stability in Sudan, preserving its territorial integrity, protecting civilians and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom’s relentless efforts in support of dialogue, tolerance and moderation, and its rejection of extremism. In this regard, the Cabinet hailed the adoption of the draft resolution “Countering Religious Hatred Constituting Incitement to Discrimination, Hostility, or Violence”, which the Kingdom and several other countries have actively called for, by the UN Human Rights Council, saying that the draft resolution embodies the principle of respect for religions and cultures, and reinforces the human values enshrined in international law.

According to Al-Dosari, the Cabinet stressed the Kingdom’s firm policy aimed at strengthening cooperation to prevent the proliferation of all types of weapons of mass destruction, and at making the Middle East free of such weapons, just like the Kingdom affirmed during the meetings of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, held in The Hague.

The Cabinet tackled the Kingdom’s participation in the ministerial meeting of the Executive Council of Foreign Ministers of the African Union, highlighting its leading role in promoting development and investment in Africa, and stressing that it will continue to work with its partners to support all action that helps Africa progress and brings it prosperity.

The Cabinet tackled several other issues on its agenda, some co-studied by the Shura Council, and reviewed the decisions taken by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, the Council of Political and Security Affairs, the Cabinet’s General Committee and the Cabinet’s Bureau of Experts.

The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi government and the French government for cooperation in the field of energy.

Second: Approving a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation between the Ministry of Sports and its Serbian counterpart.

It approved a cooperation agreement between the Saudi Ministry of Interior and the Chinese Ministry of Public Security to combat illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and chemical precursors.

It authorized the minister of foreign affairs to discuss with the Jamaican government a draft general agreement for cooperation.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of Islamic affairs, dawah, and guidance to discuss with the Kenyan side a draft of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of Islamic affairs between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance in Saudi Arabia and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) in Kenya.

It authorized the minister of investment to discuss with the Swiss side a project protocol to extend an agreement that encourages mutual investments and protects them between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Swiss Confederation.

The Cabinet approved an agreement between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of Uruguay in the field of air transport services.

It authorized the president of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) to discuss with the Russian side a draft of a memorandum of cooperation between Nazaha in Saudi Arabia and the Public Prosecution in the Russian Federation in the field of combating corruption.

The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences to cooperate in the field of measurement, evaluation, and accreditation.

It authorized the CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) and the president of Umm Al-Qura University to discuss with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) a draft of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of intellectual property between Umm Al-Qura University, the SAIP, and the WIPO.

It authorized president of the General Auditing Bureau (GAB), to hold talks with the Kyrgyz side regarding a draft of memorandum of understanding between the GAB and the Chamber of Accounts of the Kyrgyz Republic on auditing, monitoring and vocational cooperation.

The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Human Rights Commission and the National Foundation for Human Rights of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the field of human rights.

It approved the establishment of the “Infrastructure Projects Center” in Riyadh region. It also approved the bylaw on the use and the protection of the emblem and name of the Red Crescent and the like.

It approved the closing statements of the Saudi General Authority of Foreign Trade, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization and the University of Tabuk for previous fiscal years. — SPA