Riyadh - SPA

The Saudi-led coalition forces are now focusing on rebuilding of Yemen, with a

commitment to remove all traces of foreign forces attempting to dominate and divide the

country.

The Council of Ministers took this decision at its weekly meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace

on Monday, which was chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

Culture and Information Minister Adel Al-Toraifi said in a statement after the meeting

that the objectives of Operation Decisive Storm have been achieved and the focus is now

on Operation  Hope Restoration.

The Cabinet said the coalition members wanted the Yemeni people to “restore their

security and stability away from foreign domination and interventions that instigate

sedition and sectarianism,” so that the country can take its rightful place among its

Arab neighbors, said Al-Toraifi.

At the outset of the meeting, King Salman thanked the armed forces for carrying out the

military operation. He praised them particularly for successfully blocking sea and air

routes that would have allowed rebel Yemeni militias to attack the Kingdom and other

Gulf countries, said Al-Toraifi.

“During the military operation, the Kingdom’s brave pilots along with their brothers

from the coalition countries successfully eliminated the threat to the security of Saudi

Arabia and neighboring countries.”

The Cabinet also welcomed the letter from Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi,

which expressed his thanks for the intervention in Yemen intended to “save Yemeni people

from the aggressive acts of Houthi militias.”

Hadi had stated that history would print “in gold ink” the Kingdom’s support, which he

described as uniting and bringing new hope to the people, said Al-Toraifi.

King Salman also briefed the ministers on his wide-ranging talks with Pakistani Prime

Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday in Riyadh, which included strengthening bilateral

relations and cooperation.

The Cabinet ministers also expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the

government and people of Nepal for their losses during Saturday and Sunday’s massive

earthquakes in the region, said Al-Toraifi.

The Cabinet also discussed the latest regional and international developments. King

Salman briefed the ministers on his telephone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin,

the message he received from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros, and his meeting

with Linas Linkevicius, Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs.

The Cabinet also condemned the massacre of 30 Ethiopians in Libya by so-called Islamic

State terrorists, stressing the need for international cooperation to eliminate these

groups.

The Cabinet authorized King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and  

Ministry of Commerce and Industry to discuss a memorandum of understanding with China on

satellite navigation and commercial activities. The ministers also approved regulations

governing the Saudi Commission for Lawyers.