Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz today chaired the regular weekly session of the Council of Ministers, and briefed the cabinet on meetings and consultations held by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz and himself, with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Omar Hassan Al-Basheer of the Sudan, and Lieutenant General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayid Al Nahayan, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. The talks focused on the situation in Iraq, developments in the Palestinian issue, and the enhancement of Arab cooperation in all fields. The Crown Prince also briefed the cabinet on messages and diplomatic contacts between the Kingdom and a number of other countries concerning developments in the situation in Iraq. He stressed that the Kingdom's convocation of the regional conference of foreign ministers of countries that are neighbors of Iraq came in response to the current circumstances in Iraq that affect not only the Iraqi people but have consequences for the region.

The cabinet praised the final declaration issued by the regional meeting, notably the affirmation of the participating countries that they will not accept any interference in the internal affairs of Iraq, and their concern for the establishment of a legitimate Iraqi government according to the will of its own people so that Iraq can pursue its historic role and live in peace and harmony with its neighbors. The cabinet expressed satisfaction at the Kingdom's delivery of relief aid to the Iraqi people on their territory through official channels and in coordination with the concerned bodies, standing by the Iraqis in their plight.
Turning to domestic affairs, the cabinet passed a number of resolutions, including authorization for the Foreign Minister or his deputy to prepare a draft general cooperation agreement with the Republic of Guinea; authorization for the Minister of Communications or his deputy to prepare a draft agreement on overland transport communications with the Republic of Turkey; approval for an Animal Resources Bill that aims at protecting, caring for and feeding the Kingdom's animals; and authorization for the concerned authorities to take the necessary measures to implement economic decisions taken at the 23rd Summit in Qatar of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), including reduction of the list of economic activities and jobs reserved for citizens.

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