Saudi Cabinet reiterates call for extension of UN arms embargo on Iran

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers reiterated the Kingdom’s call to the international community to take a firm stance against the Iranian regime and rein in its expansionist agenda that is threatening the stability and security of the region.

In a virtual session chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Tuesday, the Saudi Cabinet urged the United Nations to take appropriate measures for an extension of an arms embargo on Tehran and underlined the need for dealing seriously with the nuclear and ballistic programs being developed by Iran.

The Cabinet reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's keenness on the stability of the region, warning that the Kingdom will not under any circumstances allow any transgression of its borders, harm to its national security, or exposing the safety of water crossings and the global economy to the threats of the hostile Iranian behavior.

The Cabinet welcomed the UN Security Council’s pronouncement, denouncing Houthi militia's targeting of the Kingdom's territories with drones and ballistic missiles and its call for an immediate end to hostilities and prompt implementation of Riyadh Agreement to bring back peace in Yemen.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, Acting Minister of Media Majid Al-Qasabi said that the Cabinet at the outset of the session reviewed the latest developments with regard to the coronavirus pandemic at the local and international levels, the efforts made to achieve the highest levels of safety and maintain the health of citizens and expatriates, and the expanded testing in various regions of the Kingdom.

The Cabinet was reassured about the medical and health care provided for active and critical cases based on a comprehensive and integrated system that placed Saudi Arabia among the countries with the most recoveries from COVID-19.

The issuance of the royal order, extending a number of government initiatives to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on economic activities and the private sector, was described by the Cabinet as part of the urgent government measures to support individuals, investors and private sector establishments and to enhance their role as partners in the development of Saudi Arabia's economy.

The Cabinet pointed out that as many as 142 initiatives were announced since the outbreak of the pandemic with a value exceeding SR214 billion ($57 billion).

The Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom's stance before the 4th Brussels Conference to Support Syria that the political solution is the only solution to the Syrian crisis as it continues to exert all possible efforts to unify the Syrian opposition and mitigate the suffering of the Syrian people by providing various forms of support and aid.

The Cabinet took stock of the outcomes of the workings of the 9th Arab-Chinese Forum that concluded to hold an Arab-Chinese summit to be hosted by the Kingdom, to bolster Arab-Chinese strategic partnership toward wider prospects, that best serve the mutual interest of the two parties. The forum rejected Israel schemes to annex any part of the Palestinian territories and re-emphasized Iran's obligation toward good neighborliness, non-interference in the internal affairs.

The Cabinet expressed Saudi Arabia's condemnation of the human rights violations faced by the Rohingya minority and the difficulties facing humanitarian action in Rakhine state. The Cabinet also affirmed the Kingdom's support for the Rohingya cause as one of the priorities of humanitarian action, calling on Myanmar government to commit to the safe arrival of relief aid to the affected people, fully cooperate with the United Nations agencies and their partners in this regard and abide by the resolution issued by the International Court of Justice earlier this year.

The Cabinet also issued the following decisions:

1. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding for cooperation and exchange of news between the Saudi news agency and the Emirates news agency.

2. A guiding model for a memorandum of cooperation in the field of intellectual property between the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property of Saudi Arabia and the authorities concerned with intellectual property in other countries. The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property — or his deputy — to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of cooperation in the field of intellectual property with the competent authorities of intellectual property in other countries.

3. The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture — or his deputy — to discuss and sign with the Mauritian side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of fish wealth between Saudi Arabia and Mauritius.

4. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding for academic cooperation between King Saud University of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government of the UAE.

5. The Cabinet approved an air services agreement between Saudi Arabia Zimbabwe.

6. The Cabinet approved the documentation law.

7. The Cabinet approved the implementation of the decision of the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf issued in its 40th session which was held in Riyadh on Dec. 10, 2019.

The Cabinet reviewed a number of topics on its agenda, including annual reports of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Broadcasting Authority, the Saudi Irrigation Organization, the Social Charity Fund, and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu.