Meetings of the Council of Ministers

During its regular weekly sessions in March and April, the Council of Ministers reviewed the following topics:

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz on April 29 chaired the regular weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers and reviewed the results of the official visit to the United States of Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. King Fahd said that ever since its founding, Saudi Arabia has been concerned with establishing firm relations with all friendly countries on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in the domestic affairs of others. This approach, he said, leads to the achievement of common interests and, ultimately, to security and stability for the entire world. King Fahd went on to note the special significance of relations binding Saudi Arabia and the United States, originating from the two countries’ joint desire that peace, security and stability prevail throughout the world. Crown Prince Abdullah’s visit, he said, arises from a relationship that goes back seven decades, which allows the two sides to consult on all relevant issues, in particular the situation in the Middle East that is currently witnessing critical deterioration due to Israel’s aggressive policy and its unprecedented crimes against the Palestinian people.

King Fahd declared that it is in this context that the Kingdom felt the need to present its frank and clear views to the U.S. Administration and people and, in particular, remind them of the sufferings of the Palestinians. The Council of Ministers then expressed the Kingdom’s wish to see a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. It also expressed the hope that the United States would undertake a more active role in the drive for peace, on account of its prominent status in the international community in defense of the rights of peoples for self-determination and a decent life. It also urged the United States to use its influence to put greater pressure on Israel to halt its recurring attacks and perpetual breaches of the rights of the Palestinian people, honor the will of the international community, and implement the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Chairing a Cabinet meeting on April 8, King Fahd praised U.S. President George W. Bush’s call for Israel to halt its attacks on territories that are under the administration of the Palestinian Authority, to begin immediate withdrawal from the towns it has lately reoccupied, to work promptly toward lifting the siege, to put a halt to the establishing of settlements, and to implement the Tenet report and the Mitchell plan in order to reach a fair political solution to the issue.  King Fahd expressed the hope that the United States would use its influence to put pressure on Israel to implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the agreements necessary to the achievement of security and stability in the region.

King Fahd chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 1 that expressed appreciation for the endorsement of Crown Prince Abdullah’s peace initiative by the Summit of the League of Arab States in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 28. He said the move was supported by Arab governments and peoples. The Cabinet called on the United Nations Security Council, the United States, the Russian Federation and the European Union to support the Arab peace initiative and to put pressure on Israel to withdraw from occupied Arab territories, end its aggressive policies that run contrary to international laws, accept the Arab peace initiative and recognize the rights of the Palestinians.

The Cabinet then strongly condemned the continuing Israeli military campaign against a number of Palestinian towns, the incursion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the siege of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s headquarters, actions designed to intimidate innocent civilians, destroy property and disregard the most basic of human rights.