Saudi Arabia approves draft agreements on atomic energy, economic crime

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet rounded off 2022 by furthering its intentions to cooperate with a number of countries in fields including atomic energy and economic crime, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.

During Tuesday’s cabinet session – chaired by Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – members approved a framework agreement to cooperate with Morocco in “the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy”.

The Kingdom’s cabinet also approved a draft Memorandum of Understanding with Uzbekistan to help allow the countries to exchange of information “related to money laundering, terrorist financing and related crimes,” SPA reported.

The cabinet approved a total of eight draft agreements. These also included a draft agreement with Greece, to foster cooperation in health between the countries, Italy to help encourage direct investments between the countries, and Ghana to develop non-oil exports between the states.

The cabinet also discussed Saudi Arabia’s recent meetings with other countries, lauding in particular its development in relations with China.

Parliamentarians “touched on” the content of the meeting between the Kingdom’s Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Saudi Arabia earlier in December, in which the countries signed a total of 46 agreements.

During the visit the countries signed an agreement to harmonize the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 – plans by Saudi Arabia to become less reliant on oil exports for income – with China’s Belt and Road initiative.

The Belt and Road initiative, formed nine-years-ago and led by China, aims to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks to increasing trade and stimulating economic growth between countries.

The cabinet also welcomed the outcome of the Saudi-China summit – during Jinping’s visit – in December in which the countries signed $50 billion worth of investment agreements.

In a statement to SPA following the session acting Media Minister Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi concluded that the cabinet discussed a number of regional and international issues.

Al Qasabi said the cabinet reiterated what the Kingdom had confirmed during the Conference of the States Parties Oversees the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, in supporting the goals of an agreement which aims “to ban all types of weapons of mass destruction and prevent their proliferation, including making the Middle East region free of them.”