Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General, today presided over the regular weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers, and urged Pakistan and India to practice self-restraint by settling their dispute through peaceful means.  The cabinet called on the two sides to take into account the importance of safeguarding civilian lives and upholding the principles of good neighborliness.  The cabinet reiterated that force should not be resorted to for the settlement of disputes, endorsed the right to self-determination of the Muslim people of Kashmir, and called for easing their sufferings in line with the United Nations' resolutions in this respect.

Turning to domestic affairs, Prince Sultan spoke of the development of internal tourism in various parts of the Kingdom, pointing out that the country, endowed with security and stability in addition to a good climate, natural scenic beauty, and an advanced transportation network, has become an attractive tourist destination not only for Saudi citizens, but also for those of the other GCC member states.  He went on to praise the positive role being played by the private sector in developing internal tourism and reiterated the support of the state to investment in this sphere.  He noted that development of internal tourism conforms to the major economic development plans that aim at diversification of the economic base and boosting sources of income.
The cabinet then passed a number of resolutions, including delegating the Minister of Finance and National Economy or his deputy to sign the draft agreement concluded between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Federal Republic of Germany regarding avoidance of double taxation on the income and capital of air transport companies and compensation for their personnel.

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