The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh this afternoon.

King Salman began by briefing the Cabinet on the outcomes of his talks with the presidents of Tunisia, Turkey, Palestine Tajikistan and former Lebanese President NAME. King Salman also briefed the cabinet on his telephone conversations the former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and King Abdullah II of Jordan

The Cabinet congratulated the King on the first anniversary of his ascension to the throne, highlighting the continuing interest of the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the sectors of health, education, housing, employment, transport, economy, and other sectors, and the provision of unlimited material, human and organizational support. The Cabinet also appreciated the annual address of the King during the inauguration of the fourth year of the sixth session of the Shura Council, and the King's developmental vision with integrated political, economic and security aspects.

The Cabinet stressed the Kingdom's proceeding in its foreign policy on firm principles committed to international covenants and defending Islamic and Arab issues aiming to fight terrorism and achieve security and stability in the world.

The Cabinet appreciated the King's directive to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs following the approval of the State's General Budget to work on launching a comprehensive economic, financial and structural reform program. The Cabinet also appreciated the King's directive to officials to give priority to complete the implementation of projects approved in previous budgets, many of them are under construction.

The Cabinet expressed its appreciation to countries and Arab and international organizations, parliaments and bodies that supported the measures taken by the Kingdom to fight terrorism, track down perpetrators of terrorist acts, prosecute them, and implement judicial rulings against them in application of the Islamic Sharia.

The Cabinet condemned the attacks, destruction, burning and looting of the contents of the Kingdom's Embassy in Tehran and Consulate in Mashhad, noting that the attacks came after Iranian aggressive regime's comments which formed a blatant incitement encouraged the attacks on the Kingdom's missions.

The Cabinet noted the position of Foreign Affairs Ministers of Arab Gulf states, their strong condemnation of Iranian attacks, their categorical rejection of them, and holding the Iranian authorities full responsibility according to their commitment to Vienna Conventions of 1961 and 1963, and the international law. The Cabinet also thanked the countries, which announced their solidarity with the Kingdom in its decision, and decided to recall their ambassadors and cut off diplomatic relations with the Iran.

The Cabinet reviewed the Arab League Council's reconfirmation of its condemnation of the Iranian government for interfering in the internal affairs of Arab countries, considering it as a violation of the rules of the international law and the principle of good neighborliness, and a serious threat to regional and international security and peace.

Finally, the Cabinet closed the session after discussing a number of local affairs and approved the following: the amendment of several articles of the weapons and ammunition system, issued according to the Royal Decree No. M /45 of 25/7/1426 H.; an agreement with Romania with respect to reciprocal treatment to exempt diplomatic missions from added value taxation, which was signed in Bucharest on 14/05/1436 H; authorized the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, or his deputy, to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding with Mexican on cooperation in the oil and gas sectors of oil and gas; approved changing the name of the Institute of Diplomatic Studies to Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies; approved the Air Services Agreement with Kyrgyzstan, which was signed in Riyadh on 10/02/1436 H; and approved several arrangements on incursions on government land.