NEOM, September 12, 2023, Keeper of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presided over the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday in NEOM. The contents of the two letters that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques had sent to the presidents of Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire, as well as the phone calls that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had made to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, were explained to the Cabinet. Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari, the minister of media, said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the Cabinet reviewed discussions and meetings that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had recently had with various nations, taking into account the crucial role the Kingdom plays through its memberships in many entities and its bilateral relations through which it seeks to advance international cooperation.
The first Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council was attended by HRH the Crown Prince, who also met with Indian President Droupadi Murmu and had discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a result of these meetings, several memoranda of understanding were signed, which are anticipated to increase cooperation in all areas in the best interests of both peoples.
The outcome of HRH the Crown Prince's participation in the G20 Leaders' Summit, which was also held in India, was also praised by the Cabinet. This participation reflected the Kingdom's stature, political and economic clout, and leading role in preserving the stability of the world economy and energy markets.
The G20 leaders' measures, which are anticipated to increase collaboration among G20 member states and the global economy, were praised by the cabinet.
According to Al-Dosari, the Cabinet emphasized that the Kingdom's contribution to the creation of an economic corridor linking India, the Middle East, and Europe stems from its strategic geographic location, its leadership position as a trustworthy energy source globally, as well as from its competitive advantage, making its involvement essential to the project's success.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America signed a memorandum of understanding that calls for cooperation in creating a protocol for the establishment of transcontinental green transit corridors that pass through the Kingdom and link Asia with Europe. This will make it easier to transport clean hydrogen and renewable electricity via transmission cables, pipelines, and rail links.
According to Al-Dosari, the Cabinet expressed its satisfaction with the outcomes of the first strategic discussion between the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Japan, highlighting the close ties between the two nations and the significance of maintaining coordination and collaboration at various levels.
The phone call HRH the Crown Prince had with the monarch of Morocco, in which he reaffirmed the Kingdom's solidarity with the earthquake-stricken country, was also discussed by the Cabinet. The Saudi leadership instructed concerned agencies to dispatch the required relief and humanitarian aid as soon as possible to lessen the effects of the catastrophe. These initiatives highlight the Kingdom's crucial role in providing assistance to those in need or who have suffered harm as a result of natural disasters all over the world.
The Cabinet also made decisions on other topics on its agenda, including the following:
First:
approving an agreement for energy cooperation between the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Second:
approving a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic in order to discuss it with the Kyrgyz side.
Third:
approving a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration between the ministries of tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Fourth:
allowing the investment minister or a representative to speak with the Vietnamese side about a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in boosting direct investment.
Fifth:
approving draft memoranda of understanding between the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy of Austria in order to strengthen cooperation and authorizing the minister of economy and planning, or a deputy, to hold discussions with the Austrian and Georgian sides.
Sixth:
approving the discussion of a draft partnership and research cooperation agreement with the University of Chicago by the Ministry of Economy and Planning.
Seventh:
endorsing the General Authority for Media Regulation's bylaw.
