HRH Premier chairs weekly cabinet session

Manama, Dec. 7 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has praised the effective participation of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, in the Paris Climate Change Conference (2015 COP21), and the meetings he held with countries' leaders and heads of delegations. Chairing the regular weekly cabinet session, attended by HRH the Crown Prince, HRH the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of such meetings in enhancing the kingdom's relations with brotherly and friendly countries. The cabinet commended the efforts exerted by France in hosting and organising COP 21, expressing hope that the conference will come up with resolutions that enable the world to face climate challenges, reach a new international agreement that deals more effectively with those challenges and meet the aspirations of the countries of the region, especially regarding their rights to carry on their progress towards achieving sustainable development, Secretary-General of the Cabinet Dr. Yaser bin Essa Al-Nasser said in a statement following the session held at the Gudaibiya Palace today. On the Bahraini Women's Day 2015, the session extended sincere congratulations to Bahraini women, and lauded their key role and landmark contributions in various fields. The cabinet affirmed the government's keenness on strengthening women's partnership, consolidating their political, economic and social role, and promoting their presence in the decision-making posts through stepping up efforts to empower them, praising the crucial role played by the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) in this regard. The cabinet then welcomed the recent International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicators in which the kingdom topped the Arab world and was ranked 27thglobally in the ICT indicator for 2015. Bahrain's leading status proves the soundness of its policies and efforts in developing the ICT sector, noting that such successful policies led ICT to bestow its ICT Award in Sustainable Development on HRH Premier who is among the world leaders who strongly support ICT as the best means to achieve sustainable development goals, the cabinet said. HRH the Prime Minister then lauded the keynote speech delivered by UAE President HH Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan marking his country's 44thNational Day. The Prime Minister praised the UAE President's assertion of his country's principled supportive stances towards Bahrain's unity, and rejection of all forms of foreign interference in its domestic affairs. The session welcomed brotherly UAE's stances emanating from its belief in the full partnership and unity of brotherly countries against any potential threats that may put the security of GCC and Arab countries at risk. The cabinet congratulated the UAE on its National Day, wishing it more glory, strength and progress under the leadership of President HH Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It also congratulated the members of the UAE Federal Supreme Council and the brotherly UAE people on the 44th National Day. With regard to marking the International Anti-Corruption Day, the cabinet affirmed, the efforts exerted by Bahrain in promoting transparency and accountability, activating the monitoring bodies, enacting legislation and mechanisms and ratifying anti-corruption Arab and international conventions and agreements. The session also welcomed the signing of the Charter of Press Ethics by the editors-in-chief of Bahraini newspapers, highlighting the importance of the charter in cementing national unity and serving top national interests. On investments, the cabinet approved a number of procedures to encourage foreign investment in the logistics services sector and open doors for foreign companies to invest in this field. Under the scheme included in a memorandum presented by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, foreign companies will be allowed to fully own the packaging activities that includes delivery beyond the shipping docks to reach the final destination. A new logistics service activity, called "re-exportation and value-added logistics services", will be created and foreign companies will also be allowed 100% ownership in it. Foreign companies will also be allowed to own 49% of the activities of the shipping company agents, and the land, sea and air freight agents. The cabinet also approved a draft edict on the issuance of the Executive Bill of the Real Estate Registration Law promulgated by Law 13/2013. The bill includes the regulations and provisions required for the implementation of the Real Estate Registration Law. The cabinet urged all the competent sides to activate and develop the e-signature, as well as the e-Transactions Law. In this regard, the session discussed a proposal to transfer the responsibility over the implementation of the e-Transactions Law from the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry to the Informatics and e-Government Authority. The matter, highlighted in a memorandum presented by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, was referred to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs. The cabinet also discussed two proposals submitted by the Council of Representatives on opening a branch of the University of Bahrain in the Muharraq Governorate and the transfer of women teachers, and decided to reply to them in light of the memorandum presented by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs on them. On ministerial reports, the session took note of a report on the Interior Minister's visit to India to sign a cooperation on international terrorism, transnational organised crime, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances including their precursor chemicals between Bahrain and India. It also took note of a report on the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications' participation in the World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium (WTIS). Other reports were by the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister on the National Urban Heritage Forum in Saudi Arabia and the Industrialists' Conference in Kuwait as well as by the Information and Parliament Affairs Minister on the signing of the Charter of Press Ethics by the editors-in-chief of the Bahraini newspapers, and another by the Youth and Sports Affairs Minister on the eighth International Peace and Sport Forum.