HM the King takes part in GCC-US Summit

Riyadh, Apr. 21 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa participated in the summit of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with the U.S President Barack Obama, held at the Dera'iya Palace here. His Majesty the King delivered the following keynote speech: "In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful. All praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family and companions. "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, "Your Majesties and Royal Highnesses Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, "His Excellency the honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, "May Peace, Allah’s Mercy and Blessings be upon you. "It is our pleasure to offer our sincere appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on his kind invitation to attend this summit and the gracious hospitality afforded to us in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "Our meeting today is a reflection of the solid foundations of the relationship between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United States of America. The opportunity to continue the discussions at Camp David here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sure sign of the depth of our friendship and the joint willingness to improve and enhance our ties in the military, economic, trade, political, and cultural fields to promote our strong relationship and ensure its continuity. We look forward to achieving the desired goal of deepening our relationship in all fields. "It is our pleasure to refer to the historic relationship between the GCC and the United States, especially our strong security and defence partnership. A partnership that began with the first Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait and extended to our joint efforts at combatting piracy and terrorism to our current effort at building a comprehensive missile defence system for the GCC among many other areas of cooperation. We strongly affirm the need to intensify our defence cooperation for the sake of peace and security in the region. A region that faces the spread of terrorism and extremist groups due primarily to the collapse of the nation state in a number of Arab countries. In the GCC, we continue to face serious interference in our domestic affairs from Iran. This interference extends to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen among other Arab and Islamic countries. We, in Bahrain, have the evidence to prove the Iranian interference in our own affairs that violates the United Nations Charter, the values of good neighborliness and the sovereignty of independent nation states in various forms. The GCC, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have all condemned this interference. "Since Camp David Summit, we have undertaken great efforts to reach a solution in Yemen and in Syria, and we are working with you in earnest to combat terrorism in the region and to stop the spread of radical extremist groups. We continue to work towards lasting peace in the region and in the world, and to ensure the defence of our lands and our sovereignty against any external interference. Furthermore, we strongly affirm our desire to strengthen our economic partnership with the United States for the joint benefit of our nations and people. Finally, we look forward to welcoming President Barack Obama in Bahrain and in all of our GCC countries soon. "Thank You." The kingdom's delegation to the GCC-US Summit comprised: - His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. - Royal Court Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. - President of the Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) Shaikh Salman bin Abdulla Al Khalifa. - Shaikh Hamad bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa - Interior Minister, Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa. - Advisor to HM the King for Economic Affairs, Dr. Hassan bin Abdulla Fakhroo. - Foreign Affairs Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa. - Advisor to HM the King for Media Affairs, Nabil bin Yaqoob Al-Hamar. - Defence Affairs Minister, Lieutenant-General Yussef bin Ahmed Al-Jalahma. - Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister, Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani. - Royal Protocols Chief, Major-General Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Fadhala. - HM the King's Personal Secretary Hamad bin Ali Al-Ka'abi. - Head of the Royal Follow-up Affairs, Air Vice-Marshal Mohammed Bahussain Al-Musallam. - Bahraini Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Shaikh Hmood bin Abdulla Al Khalifa. - HRH the Crown Prince's Personal Secretary, Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa,. - Director-General of the Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa. - Lahoum bin Faisal bin Shereem