Doha, August 28 (QNA) - HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting held at its seat at the Amiri Diwan on Wednesday morning.

After the meeting, HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi issued the following statement:

The Cabinet considered the topics on its agenda as follows:

First - The Cabinet approved the following:

1- A draft law on supporting innovation and scientific research, and referring it to the Shura Council.

2- A draft Amiri decision to establish the Qatar Foundation for Supporting Innovation and Scientific Research.

The foundation aims to support and finance innovation and scientific research, elevate their standards, manage, develop, and invest resources allocated to them, and nurture and develop the capacities necessary to establish the foundations of a national knowledge-based economy characterized by diversity and resource sustainability.

It particularly works to achieve the following:

- Promoting the culture of creativity, innovation, and scientific research, and raising awareness of the importance of scientific research and technology as a fundamental pillar of progress and future aspirations.

- Supporting and serving comprehensive development plans by linking scientific research with societal needs.

- Focusing on supporting researches presented by national entities and institutions that aim to develop technologies leading to improved productivity and services, reducing costs, and achieving high levels of quality and safety in various state sectors.

- Guiding, encouraging, and supporting investment in the fields of innovation and scientific research, and providing the necessary support to institutions, bodies, and researchers involved in these fields.

Second - Approval of a draft Cabinet decision to issue the employment system for certain jobs at the General Authority of Customs.

Third - Approval of a draft Cabinet decision to amend some provisions of Decision No. 16 of 2008 establishing a Standing Committee for Rescue and Relief Operations and Humanitarian Aids for Areas Afflicted by Catastrophes in brotherly and friendly countries.

The draft decision aims to ensure the unification of efforts in implementing rescue, relief, and humanitarian aid tasks and works, creating a joint work environment that includes all relevant parties within the State.

This is achieved by adding representatives from both the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and Qatar Charity to the committee's membership.

Fourth - Approval of a draft Cabinet decision on the establishment and formation of the Ministerial Committee for National Local Content and determining its competencies.

Among the competencies of this committee are the approval of the national policy and strategy for local content, and the goals of the National Local Content Program and the local content for state-owned, state-funded sectors, institutions, and companies, as well as key performance indicators and targets, the governance of the Local Content Program at the national and sectoral levels, and the mechanism for investment opportunities to enhance local content.

Fifth - Taking the necessary measures to ratify an agreement between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan regarding the regulation of the employment of workers from the Republic of Kazakhstan in the State of Qatar.

Sixth - The Cabinet approved the following:

1- A draft air services agreement between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Iceland.

2- A draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation and joint news exchange between Qatar News Agency (QNA) and the Russian international media group "Rossiya Segodnya."

(QNA)