Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz began the Cabinet meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh this afternoon by discussing several reports on local affairs and regional and international developments.

The Council expressed pride in the numerous programs held to celebrate Madinah as the capital of Islamic culture for 1434 H. [2013]. It welcomed the results of the 8th Islamic Conference of the Ministers of Culture of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), particularly the adoption of the draft operational plan for the Initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for Dialogue Among Followers of Religions and Cultures.

Turning to international affairs, the Cabinet was briefed on the proceedings of the Geneva II Conference, which opened last Wednesday in the Swiss city of Montreux. It reiterated the Kingdom’s call for the formation of a transitional Syrian government, free of the leaders of the Assad regime. The ministers expressed hope that a new government will allow the Syrian people to achieve self-determination away from external interferences, preserving the sovereignty, independence and unity of Syria.

The Cabinet repeated the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of the cowardly terrorist bombings that have recently afflicted Egypt, claiming many innocent lives with the intention of destabilizing that country’s security and stability. It expressed confidence in the ability of the Egyptian government and people to put an end to these un-Islamic, criminal acts.

Finally, the Council commended the national consensus reached at the Yemeni National Dialogue Conference. It congratulated Yemen on this historic achievement, wishing its people stability, security, and continued growth.

Addressing its weekly agenda, the Cabinet authorized the Crown Prince to sign a draft agreement on defense cooperation with the Ukraine; authorized the President of the Board of Directors of the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (KAFRA) to sign a draft memorandum of cooperation with the Kuwaiti Center for Research and Studies; authorized the President of Youth Welfare to sign a draft cooperation agreement with Kyrgyzstan in the field of youth and sports; and approved the adoption of the final account of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) for fiscal year 1432/1433 H.

The Cabinet approved the appointments of Nasser Al-Houti as Ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Naif Al-Rashid as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Sultan Al-Sultan as Assistant Undersecretary for Security Affairs at the Tabuk Governorate (14th rank); Fahd Al-Huthaili as Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (14th rank); and Ahmad Al-Nassar as Director General of the Reports Office at the General Auditing Bureau (14th rank).