JEDDAH, 31 January 2006 — Saudi Arabia yesterday welcomed the victory of Hamas in the recent Palestinian elections and urged the international community to respect the rights of the Palestinian people to determine their future and exercise their freedom of choice.
“We look forward to a favorable international response to these developments,” the Council of Ministers said about the elections in Palestine in which Hamas won 74 of the 132 parliamentary seats.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prince Sultan, the regent, also called upon the international community to pressure Israel to follow the road to peace in order to achieve a just and comprehensive Middle East peace settlement.
The Cabinet congratulated the Arab and Islamic Ummah on the advent of the new Hijrah year and hoped that it would herald a new era of goodness, peace and stability for Muslims and the whole humanity. “We hope the world as a whole will work for peaceful coexistence of all peoples,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Prince Sultan as saying.
The Cabinet meeting expressed its satisfaction over the outcome of the visits of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to China and India, adding that the royal visits would strengthen cooperation and partnership with the two Asian economic giants.
“These visits will also deepen friendships, promote tolerance, understanding and diversity and expand economic and trade exchange and joint investments,” Prince Sultan told the meeting.
The Cabinet congratulated Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, the new emir of Kuwait, on the occasion of his taking power, hoping that he will work together with the leaders of other GCC countries for the welfare of people all over the world.
The Cabinet took action on other matters as well. It assigned the finance minister to hold talks with Italian officials and sign an agreement on avoidance of double taxation and preventing tax evasion. The minister of social affairs has been authorized to meet with his Yemeni counterpart and sign a memorandum of understanding between the two ministries.
The Cabinet allowed the Presidency of Youth Welfare to invest part of its real estate property for the benefit of sports clubs. It insisted, however, that such investment projects should be supervised by a committee set up by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
In the light of a proposal made by the minister of agriculture, the Cabinet lifted port fees imposed on fishing boats operating on the high seas.
