Riyadh- The Cabinet on Monday condemned Houthi ballistic missile attack that emanated from Saada, Yemen. The missile was intercepted and downed by Saudi air defense forces before it could reach its target and cause harm.
The Cabinet highlighted the condemnation of the strike by Islamic, Arab and friendly Muslim countries and organizations, scholars and ordinary Muslims who voiced support for the Kingdom in its defense of the two holy mosques.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace.
At the outset of the meeting, the king briefed the Cabinet on the contents of the telephone conversation he had with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, the outcome of his meetings with President Omar Bashir of Sudan, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, the vice president of Argentina, director general of the International Monetary Fund, U.S. secretary of treasury, heads of auditing and accountancy bureaus of the GCC member states, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, the chief negotiations coordinator of the higher commission for the Syrian opposition, and the vice president of the European Commission.
The Cabinet lauded the contents of the speech delivered by the king at a function held by the Saudi Standards and Quality Authority in honor of businesses, which have won the King Abdul Aziz Prize for Quality. In his speech, the monarch confirmed the historic change witnessed by the Kingdom through its Vision 2030 including programs and initiatives for national transformation to build a strong and globally competitive economy.
Isam bin Saad bin Saeed, acting minister of culture and information, said the Cabinet also highlighted the Saudi strategy to confront economic and financial challenges at local and international levels despite the fall in oil prices.
It also stressed the Kingdom’s ability to manage the public budget, stabilize its reserves and reduce its debt, citing the strength of Saudi banks.
The Cabinet was briefed on the discussion at the first joint meeting of the GCC finance ministers and the U.S. treasury secretary as well as the contents of the joint annual meeting of the finance ministers and governors of monetary funds and GCC central banks, held with the IMF director general.
The Cabinet welcomed Saudi Arabia’s election for the fourth time in a row as a member of the Human Rights Council by the U.N. General Assembly for the term 2017-2019. It reflects the renowned international status enjoyed by the Kingdom and its achievements in the field of consolidating the principles of justice and equality and protection and enhancement of human rights.
It reiterated the Kingdom’s assertion before the Second Committee during its 71st session on the UN’s Article 65 that the Palestinian cause tops its priorities, hoping that the struggle would end with a peace agreement that offers security and normal ties among all regional countries.
The Cabinet underlined the Kingdom’s support for the rights of the Palestinian people in their occupied land since 1967, including Al-Quds, and the need to put pressure on Israel to stop all violations of international laws and charters, and to abide by the relevant UN resolutions.