LOC19:39
16:39 GMT
His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah chairs Cabinet weekly meeting
KUWAIT, Feb 5 (KUNA) - The Kuwaiti Cabinet has given the thumps up to a national strategy designed to prevent human trafficking and immigrant smuggling.
In its weekly meeting presided over by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the executive body assigned the foreign and justice ministries with the task of making sure that the plan comes to fruition.
Meanwhile, after explanations from Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah and Minister of Finance Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf, the Cabinet agreed to compensate affected military personnel, under the proviso that the payments will only be given to those entitled to them.
A decision to amend a law dealing with real estate registration was also among measures taken by the Cabinet, in addition to a law that seeks to prevent conflict of interest, both of which have been referred to His Highness the Amir.
Other decisions taken by the Cabinet include a protocol to amend a Kuwaiti and Turkish agreement over double taxation on capital gains, as well as a similar deal with the Bangladeshi government to prevent income tax.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Kuwait and Turkey to boost cooperation in the arms industry was given the green light by the Cabinet, in addition to an aviation deal with Kyrgyzstan, all of which await His Highness the Amir's approval.
As part of discussions of global happenings, the Cabinet expressed its deepest sympathies over a deadly US train crash in the state of South Carolina, which left scores of people either dead or injured.
At the onset of the meeting, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah congratulated Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh on the recent parliamentary decision to renew confidence in her.
In this regard, the cabinet hailed the atmosphere of freedom and democracy during the session, reiterating the government's commitment to, and firm belief in, democracy that serves the interest of the nation and citizens.
Then, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah briefed his colleagues on the outcomes of a recent visit by Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi to Kuwait.
During the visit, both Yemeni and Kuwaiti sides discussed bilateral relations in all fields, the latest Yemeni situation and ongoing international efforts to find a political solution to the Yemeni crisis and to alleviate the sufferings of Yemeni people.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled also apprised the cabinet of the outcomes of his participation in the recent ministerial meeting of the Arab Peace Initiative Committee and the emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers recently held in Cairo, focusing on the latest situation of Jerusalem. (end)
mt.nam