Category: Politics

Jeddah: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud chaired the Cabinet session held today in Jeddah.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the recent talks held by Saudi Arabia with a number of countries on joint relations, regional issues, and global developments.

The Cabinet reaffirmed the Kingdom’s firm positions vis-à-vis the need to establish security and stability in the region and the world, and reiterated its constant call on the international community to assume its responsibility and stop Israeli attacks on civilians in Gaza Strip, and support the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and an independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency after the session, Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet praised the outcome of the second ministerial meeting of the GCC-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue, and stressed the Kingdom’s commitment to fostering stronge
r communication channels with various nations around the world, and to promoting coordination, including within multilateral frameworks.

The Cabinet welcomed the participants in the upcoming special meeting of the World Economic Forum taking place in Riyadh on April 28 and 29, which underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation and addressing global challenges.

The Cabinet also welcomed the World Bank’s decision to designate Saudi Arabia as a knowledge center for disseminating global economic reform practices, a recognition that reflects the Kingdom’s significant progress in global competitiveness indicators.

The Cabinet highlighted the achievement of five Saudi cities that secured high rankings in the 2024 International Institute for Management Development’s Smart Cities Index, an accomplishment that is testimony to the ongoing development and prosperity the Kingdom is experiencing in various sectors.

The Cabinet tackled other items on its agenda, and issued several deci
sions, among which the following:

First:

Approving a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of sports and youth between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the State of Qatar.

Second:

Approving a general cooperation agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Dominican Republic.

Third:

Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) under the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for marine environment protection cooperation.

Fourth:

Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Ministry of Finance and the Turkish Ministry of Treasury and Finance to strengthen cooperation in the financial field.

Fifth:

Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Chad for technical cooperation in the field of mining.

Sixth:

Approving a memor
andum of understanding between the Saudi Ministry of Tourism and the Portuguese Ministry of Economy and Maritime Affairs in the field of tourism.

Seventh:

Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China to encourage direct investment.

Eighth:

Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission and the Yemeni National Atomic Energy Commission in the field of nuclear safety and radiation prevention.

Ninth:

Authorizing the minister of economy and planning, and chairman of the general authority for statistics, or a deputy, to discuss and sign with the Australian side a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi General Authority for Statistics and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Tenth:

Authorizing the minister of transport and chairman of the board of directors of the Transport General Authority (TGA), or a deputy, to d
iscuss and sign with the Egyptian side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation between TGA and the Egyptian Ministry of Transport regarding the transport of passengers in the Gulf of Aqaba.

Eleventh:

Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office of the Republic of Korea to prevent and combat corruption.

Twelfth:

Approving a cooperation agreement between the Saudi National Center for Archives and Records and the General State Archives of Greece in the field of document archiving.

Thirteenth:

Approving a cooperation agreement between the Saudi Central Bank and the Monetary Authority of Singapore in the field of financial technology and innovation.

Fourteenth:

Authorizing the chairman of the board of directors of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, or a deputy, to discuss and sign with Bahamas’ ministries of tourism, and investment and aviation, and the Grand Bahama a draft memorandum of un
derstanding for cooperation in the field of science and technology.

Fifteenth:

Approving that UBS AG Bank of Switzerland open branches in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Sixteenth:

Approving a unified by-law concerning land transport among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Rabat, The Saudi Ambassador to Morocco, Dr. Sami bin Abdullah Alsaleh, met today at his office with the Finnish ambassador to Morocco, Marjaana Sall, with whom he discussed ties and other issues of common concern.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Rabat – Relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Sierra Leone have witnessed extensive development in recent years under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI and HE President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, said Tuesday in Rabat.

Morocco and Sierra Leone are united by strong friendship and brotherhood which reflect the quality of historical relations between the two countries, Bourita told the press following his talks with Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Musa Kabba.

He underlined that Morocco and Sierra Leone have a cooperation roadmap which “reflects the ambition of the two countries’ leaders to strengthen sectoral cooperation”, adding that this roadmap, implemented since 2021, runs until the end of the year.

In this regard, Bourita recalled the holding, last year in Dakhla, of the 3rd session of the Morocco-Sierra Leone Join
t Commission during which the two countries agreed on the importance of agriculture and food security as key areas for strengthening bilateral cooperation.

He also mentioned the holding by his Sierra Leonean peer of a meeting with representatives of the private sector to discuss their contribution to the development of relations between the two countries.

Noting that trade between Morocco and Sierra Leone has “almost doubled in recent years”, Bourita recalled the opening of diplomatic missions in the two countries, like the Consulate General of Sierra Leone in Dakhla and a diplomatic representation of Morocco in Sierra Leone.

On the other hand, Bourita praised “the positive and important role” that Sierra Leone is playing this year as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, highlighting the ongoing efforts of this African to carry the voice of the continent within this UN body.

The minister added that Sierra Leonean diplomacy, under the leadership of HE President Julius Maada Bio, has always be
en based on principles, notably clarity and the defense of territorial integrity and national sovereignty of countries.

Bourita expressed his thanks to the Republic of Sierra Leone for its “continued position concerning the Moroccan Sahara issue, expressed on April 16 during a meeting of the UN Security Council, in favor of Morocco’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty over its southern provinces’.

Sierra Leone “plays an important role with regard to HM King Mohammed VI’s initiatives in favor of Africa, including the Royal Initiative for the Atlantic”, Bourita said, recalling the participation of the Republic of Sierra Leone at a meeting organized in Rabat in this regard over the past two years.

The minister underlined, in this regard, that Sierra Leone is interested by the Nigeria-Morocco-Europe Gas Pipeline project, as well as by the Royal Initiative aimed at promoting access of the Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, which are all important and structuring royal initiatives in which West A
frican countries, including Sierra Leone, play a major role in their implementation.

‘Relations between Morocco and Sierra Leone are based on solidarity as desired by His Majesty the King,’ he underlined, adding that the Kingdom has repeatedly given substance to this positive and constructive solidarity with Sierra Leone particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and the floods that affected this country.

Bourita also hailed the solidarity shown by Sierra Leone in defending Morocco’s interests and its priority issues, both continentally and internationally.

Relations between the two countries are very positive and developed, and are based on solidarity and mutual interests (win-win). They are guided by the firm will to make it a model for relations between two African countries based on mutual respect to serve the interests of the two peoples, in accordance with the vision of the two countries’ leaders, the minister noted.

Bourita stressed the need to hold a new session of the Morocco-Sierra Leone Joint Co
mmission, while recalling the importance of activating communication channels and consolidating bilateral sectoral cooperation through visit exchanges between the two countries’ ministers.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Islamabad, The Speaker of the Pakistani National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, received today at the headquarters of the National Parliament in Islamabad, the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki.

The meeting discussed the distinguished relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in various fields.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Rabat – First Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (Lower House) of the Czech Republic, Vera Kovarova, reaffirmed, here Tuesday, her country’s support of the Moroccan autonomy plan as a solution to the artificial dispute around the Moroccan Sahara.

During her talks with Speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, the Czech official welcomed the reforms undertaken by the Kingdom under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Lower House said in a press release.

She also praised Morocco as “a key partner of the Czech Republic in Africa and a model to follow in many areas”.

For his part, Talbi Alami praised the excellence of the historical relations between the two friendly countries, as well as the cooperation between their respective legislative institutions thanks to the exchange of visits of parliamentary delegations, and within the framework of the institutional twinning project between the Moroccan House of Representatives and a number of European parliaments
.

During these talks, attended by President of the Morocco-Czech Republic parliamentary friendship group, El Hussein Ben Tayeb, and Czech Republic’s ambassador to Morocco, Ladislav Škerík, the two parties examined the different aspects of bilateral parliamentary cooperation and common challenges in the field of managing water scarcity, climate change, clean energy, agriculture, education, artificial intelligence, industry, as well as other topics of common interest.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Riyadh: Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met in Riyadh today with his Bahraini counterpart Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

During the meeting, they discussed the robust relations between the two nations and explored ways to enhance them in various fields. In addition, they addressed the latest regional and international developments and the ongoing efforts to tackle them.

Source: Saudi Press Agency