RIYADH, 1 October — Saudi Arabia yesterday urged the United States to force Israel to comply with all UN resolutions after the White House pushed the Jewish state to lift its siege of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
The weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prince Abdullah, the regent, also condemned Israel for rejecting and ignoring international resolutions that promote peace in the Middle East.
The meeting took note of the recent American contacts, which led to lifting of the Israeli blockade of the headquarters of the Palestinian president in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
"This shows that the US is capable of putting pressure on Israel," the Cabinet said and hoped that Washington would continue its efforts until Israel has implemented all international resolutions related to establishing peace in the region.
Prince Abdullah briefed the ministers on the outcome of his talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"The talks focused on the current developments in the region, especially the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people and their leadership," Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy quoted the prince as saying.
Al-Farsy said the prince also briefed the Cabinet on his talks with Ethiopian President Grma Weleagyorges and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Prince Abdullah welcomed the new Water Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi and wished him all the best. The regent also spoke on the significance of water as the basis of life and emphasized the need for preserving the country’s water resources.
The Cabinet meeting authorized Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal or his deputy to sign an agreement with Bosnia Herzegovina for cooperation in economic, commercial, investment, technical, cultural, youth and sports areas.
It endorsed an agreement with Jordan on transportation of passengers and goods by road, which was signed on Nov. 6, 2001. The meeting also approved changes in an article related to labor disputes in the labor law.
The Cabinet approved a proposal made by Health Minister Dr. Osama Shubokshi on World Health Organization’s draft agreement to combat tobacco. Shubokshi proposed that the Kingdom organize a meeting to coordinate stances with Arab and Islamic organizations before the next WHO session.
The meeting appointed Ahmad ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Ouhali and Osama ibn Abdullah Alkhereiji members of the board of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training for a period of three years.
