HM King's Turkey visit success hailed by Cabinet

06 : 42 PM - 29/08/2016 Manama, Aug. 29 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has lauded the fruitful outcomes of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s recent successful visit to brotherly Turkey. The importance of the key royal visit stems from the agreements, memoranda of understanding and executive programmes signed between the two countries, and their contributions to bolstering the long-standing relations and constructive cooperation between the two countries, he said. The solid Bahraini-Turkish relations were reflected in the talks held between HM King Hamad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and embodied in HM the King’s participation in the inauguration of the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, his meetings with senior Turkish officials and the gracious official and popular welcome accorded to HM the King throughout the visit, HRH the Prime Minister said while chairing the weekly Cabinet session at the Gudaibiya Palace today. The Cabinet voiced pride in the good feelings expressed by President Erdogan towards HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa during his official talks with HM King Hamad, Cabinet Secretary-General, Dr. Yaser bin Essa Al-Nasser, said in a statement following the session. The session strongly condemned and deplored the terror blast that occurred in the south-east of Turkey, killing 11 and wounding dozens. The Cabinet extended profound condolences to the victims’ relatives and wished the injured speedy recovery. It also reiterated the kingdom’s solidarity with the Turkish government and people, and its backing of all their anti-terror efforts. Tackling housing issues, HRH the Prime Minister stressed the need to distribute the housing units, especially in villages and the Capital Governorate, fairly, and based on the principle of priority. It should also take into account the need to preserve the existing social fabric in villages and towns, in line with the policies adopted by the government which has given top priority to housing to ensure the requirements of social stability and decent living for the citizens nationwide, he said, directing to expedite the implementation of his directives in this regard. On development efforts, HRH Premier directed to meet the needs of the Shakhoora village regarding municipal services, roads, facilities and infrastructure, and requested the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning to send teams to collect first-hand information on those needs and coordinate with the relevant authorities to meet them as soon as possible. He also directed to expedite the implementation of the projects he had ordered in Shakhoora. HRH Premier instructed the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) to tighten control on the procedures adopted by financial institutions which grant personal loans, stressing the need to safeguard the interests of people against any violations while making sure their honour their commitment to the financial firms. On health, the Prime Minister directed the Health Ministry to coordinate with the Supreme Council for Health in expanding the Visiting Doctor Programme and intensifying the recruitment of world experts to treat difficult cases in the country. Reviewing other issues on its agenda, the Cabinet endorsed the signing of two memoranda of understanding (MoU) with Russia. Highlighted in the memorandum presented by the Minister of Oil, the first MoU will be signed between the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) and the Russian Gazprom company to enhance cooperation in the field of liquefied gas. The second will be signed between the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) and YMG company to enhance partnership in the field of geophysical survey for the purposes of exploration and production of oil and gas and other services. The two MoUs aim to bolster cooperation between Bahrain and Russia in the oil and gas sector. The session discussed a recommendation by the Ministerial Committee for Financial Affairs and Rationalising Expenditure on the proposal of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism to modify the fees levied on some industrial services to retrieve some of their delivery costs in accordance with the fees imposed by countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), provided that they do not create burdens for industrial investors. Presented by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, the memorandum was referred to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs. Two agreements on the Kingdom’s ratification of two agreements issued by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) were also referred to the same committee. They included the 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC) and amendments, and the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage of 2001. The Cabinet reviewed two draft-laws proposed by the Council of Representatives on amending Article 7 of Decree-Law 3/2002 regarding the election of municipal councils’ members, and amending Article 11 of Decree-Law 16/2002 with respect to the National Audit Office. The two bills were referred to the Council of Representatives, alongside a memorandum including the government’s opinion. The session discussed five proposals submitted by the Council of Representatives and approved the government’s replies to them, as recommended by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs. The proposals were related to the recruitment of female teachers in some schools, the teachers’ allowances and bonuses, overseas treatment, the Bahrain Bourse and planning and scientific research.