JEDDAH, 22 February 2005 — Crown Prince Abdullah said yesterday that he had discussed with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi the preparations for a special Islamic summit scheduled for Makkah in November.
Prince Abdullah made this disclosure while chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. The summit, which was called by the crown prince, will discuss problems facing Muslims around the world.
Badawi, who is the current chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), met with Prince Abdullah in Riyadh on Sunday after attending the Jeddah Economic Forum.
Addressing a press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, the Malaysian premier said he had agreed with the Saudi crown prince on the date and venue of the summit.
The Makkah summit is likely to draw up an agenda for the OIC to make it a more effective organization, Badawi said.
Addressing the Cabinet meeting, Prince Abdullah urged ministers to carry out the welfare projects that are included in the current fiscal budget within their specified time frames.
Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani said the Cabinet emphasized the Kingdom’s efforts to preserve its culture and heritage by organizing the annual Janadriya festival. Prince Abdullah will open this year’s festival tomorrow.
The Cabinet expressed its satisfaction over the success of the nationwide anti-terror campaign as people across the country vowed to stand by the government in the fight against terrorists.
The meeting authorized the foreign minister to hold talks with his Spanish counterpart to conclude a general agreement for cooperation between the two countries.
Spanish Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso said yesterday that his country would cooperate with Saudi Arabia on combating international terrorism. He made this statement after meeting with Saudi Ambassador Prince Saud ibn Naif. Spain’s national center for anti-terrorist coordination (CNCA) said it would “exchange information with the Saudi Interior Ministry.”
Both sides have agreed to cooperate on monitoring firms and their offshoots, which “have presumed links with extremist organizations and charitable fronts which use this cover to facilitate or to finance terrorism.”
In other decisions, the Cabinet appointed 25 persons as reserve members on the labor dispute settlement committee. The Cabinet also agreed to join the International Association of Insurance Supervisors. Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency will represent the Kingdom at the organization.
