JEDDAH, 4 October 2005 — The Council of Ministers yesterday endorsed the GCC anti-terrorism pact, which urges member states to adopt integrated measures to combat terror and support one another at times of danger.
“The signatories of the agreement will cooperate with one another by providing necessary security support to any member country that faces danger or terrorism,” Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani said about the GCC anti-terror pact.
Meanwhile, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan in their joint Ramadan message to the nation emphasized the holy month’s role in rekindling humane values among the faithful.
“During this holy month, Muslims outdo each other in righteous deeds, showing compassion to their fellow beings,” said the message read out by Madani on television.
King Abdullah extended Ramadan greetings to Muslims all over the world on the advent of the holy month. He hoped that Ramadan would bring about greater unity and solidarity among Arab and Islamic countries.
The anti-terror deal demands from the member countries to take precautionary measures in order to prevent using their territory as a stage for planning, organizing, and carrying out terrorist attacks. The six Gulf countries have pledged to activate their security and monitoring systems and beef up security on their borders and entry points in order to prevent infiltrators and encroachers.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by King Abdullah, emphasized that Iraq’s constitution and general elections must reflect national reconciliation and unity of the Iraqi people. The Kingdom opposed sectarian violence in the war-torn country.
The Cabinet also urged the Palestinian groups to stand united to protect their common interests. It condemned the recent terrorist bombings in the Indonesian island of Bali and called for greater international cooperation to fight terrorism.
The Cabinet approved the proposals for implementing the Rotterdam Convention on Dangerous Chemicals and Pesticides and instructed the Presidency for Meteorology and Environment Protection to monitor chemicals used in the country.
Madani said the Cabinet approved a GCC decision allowing citizens of the group’s member countries to open press and publishing houses, private employment offices and car rentals, establish newspapers and magazines, and carry out cultural activities. “This decision takes effect from Sept. 1, 2005,” he added.
