Kuwaiti Cabinet convened weekly meeting

The cabinet convened its weekly meeting here, Monday, presided by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, following which a summary review of the proceedings was given to the press by Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. The ministers started with a review of letters addressed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah from the President of the Comoros Ikililou Dhoinine and President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf touching on bilateral relations and means to bolster bonds and cooperation in all fields. The ministers were also given a review of preparations ahead of the parliamentary elections by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The review covered efforts by the Interior Ministry and cooperation with state bodies to enable citizens to cast vote on set date with ease and as little inconvenience as possible, in an environment marked by freedom, calm, and tranquility. The cabinet gave the green light and would support Kuwait Transparency Society as it hosts an international team that would monitor all the details of the election process. This came to stress the government's keenness on guaranteeing utmost transparency and integrity throughout this political process. The deputy premier then reviewed results of the Kuwaiti participation in the 15th meeting of the ministerial committee on political, security, and defense cooperation of the African Development Community (SADC), as Kuwait prepares to host the third Arab-African Summit, November 18-20, 2013. The official also pointed out that Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) is to hold an Arab-African economic forum on the sidelines of the summit. This is aimed to enable representatives of the private sector and NGOs and experts in finance, industry, and commerce to discuss different topics related to flow of Arab-African investments and means to boost cooperation and to encourage and protect investment and trade exchange between the two regions. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah also apprised the cabinet of results of his meeting with the President of Tanzania Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Bernard Kamillius Membe, which focused on bolstering bilateral relations. The cabinet also approved two draft laws; the first appointing Sheikh Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as Director General of the Public Authority for Direct Investment Promotion, and the second appointing Suad Fahad Al-Tararwah as Managing Director of the state's Competition Protection Authority (CPA). The cabinet of minister then discussed an array of political issues, in light of reports on the current and recent developments in the Arab World and beyond