Cabinet welcomes U.S president’s tough stance on Iran

Manama, July 23 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has stressed the government’s unwavering support for international efforts to achieve sustainable development, and keenness to include sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the National Development Plan and in its action plan. This came as HRH Premier chaired the regular weekly Cabinet session, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, at the Gudaibiya Palace today. Bahrain’s delegation to HLPF commended HRH the Prime Minister commended the efforts of the kingdom’s delegation to the UN Economic and Social Council’s High-level Political Forum (HLPF), where Bahrain presented its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the Implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, held recently at the UN headquarters in New York. The session referred to the Executive Committee, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince, the recommendations submitted by the Bahraini delegation to the HLPF, under the leadership of the Cabinet Affairs Minister, a statement by the Cabinet Secretary-General, Dr. Yasser bin Isa Al-Nasser, said. Bahrain’s top e-government ranking hailed HRH Premier gave directives to continue strengthening Bahrain’s position in the race towards global leadership in various fields in order to highlight its prosperity and progress, welcoming Bahrain’s ranking fourth internationally in the telecommunication infrastructure index of the 2018 UN E-Government Survey, thus moving up seven posts compared with the 2016 survey. HRH Premier urged to carry on efforts to maintain Bahrain’s global leadership positions in the e-government field through achieving the goals set in the Fourth National Telecommunications Plan and consolidating its status as an information and communication technology investment-attracting regional and global centre. The Prime Minister commended the efforts being exerted by the Transportation and Telecommunications MInistry –Minister and staff- and all parties involved in the implementation of the Fourth National Telecommunications Plan. Ministries urged to reduce expenditure, increase revenues HRH Premier, within the government’s continuous efforts to consoldiate financial stability and procedures to rationalise expenditure, gave directives to all ministries and government departments to prepare their short/medium-term programmes to reduce expenditure and increase revenues, and to submit them to the Ministerial Committee for Financial Affairs and Rationalising Expenditure. Priority to Bahraini contractors HRH the Prime Minister gave instructions to the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning to give priority to Bahraini contrators when awarding government projects. The Premier’s directives aim to support the private sector in order to be able to play its pivotal role in contributing to the economic growth in the kingdom. U.S firm stances against Iran’s threats welcomed The cabinet welcomed the stance of the U.S President, Donald J. Trump, and his admistration’s tough decisions and strategy vis-à-vis Iran’s threats and distabilising policies because of its nuclear and missile programmes and support for extremist groups in the Middle East, voicing its full-fledged backing of that firm strategy that would reduce terrorist threats in the region, and enhance its security and stability. «Terrorism» re-defined The session agreed, based on a recommendation by the Executive Committee, chaired by HRH Crown Prince, to modify the definition of «Terrorism» in the current Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Law in order to be more compliant with the internationally-agreed upon definitions, particularly the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force ('FATF'). The cabinet endorsed a draft-law on amending the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Law, and the Executive Committee’s recommendation to issue it as soon as possible, given its positive impact on the kingdom’s status and reputation as an international financial and banking hub. Under the amendment, «Terrorism» is defined as «every act of violence or threat of violence, whatever its consequences or purposes are, that is committed to carry ou an individual or collective criminal scheme aimed at terrorising or intimidating people by harming them or putting their lives, reputation, freedom, security or rights at risk, or causing harm to environment, or harming, occupying or seizing a facility, public or private property, or putting a national resource or an international facility at risk, or jeopardizing regional stability or integrity or the political unity and sovereignty of independent countries.» Housing joy for 15 villages HRH Premier gave directives to the Ministerial Committee for Construction and Infrastructure to study seven sites to implement housing projects that serve 15 villages and regions, according to a proposal submitted by the Housing Ministry, as outlined in the presentation of the Housing Minister, to cater to the housing needs of the citizens there, in line with his directives in this regard. The projects will serve the Diraz, Bani Jamra, Jannusan, Sitra, Al-Salhiya, Al Qurayyah, Umm Al-Hassam, Al-Nuwaidrat, Al-Nabih Saleh, Galali, Al-Dair, Samaheej, Buri, Al-Naim and Dar Kulaib villages, in addition to other sites that are currently examined by the Urban Planning and Development Authority. GEN’s branch a boost for Bahraini entrepreneurs The session approved a proposal to establish a branch of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) in Bahrain and register it as a non-governmental organisation, in line with the kingdom’s keenness to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, as part of the government’s policies to promote sustainable initiatives of entrepreneurship in accordance with the best international practices, which will reflect positively on the efforts being exerted to meet the needs of Bahraini entrepreneurs. MoU on Bahrain-France agricultural cooperation approved The cabinet endorsed, based on a recommendation by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs that was highlighted in the memorandum presented by the deputy premier and committee chairman, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bahrain’s Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, and the French Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood, and Forestry. The MoU aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, as well as agricultural research and guidance. Bahrain to host workshop on traditional skills development The session approved, based on a recommendation included in a memorandum presented by the Education Minister, the kingdom’s hosting of a subregional workshop on the development of traditional skills among women, in cooperation between the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) and the Bahrain National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. Two Representatives Council’s proposals discussed The session discussed two proposals submitted by the Council of Representatives on a sports and cultural club in Arad, and on traffic in an intersection in Manama, and took the right decision regarding them as recommended by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs, and outlined in the memorandum presented by the deputy premier and the committee chairman.