Interior Minister attends GCC Consultative meeting

Riyadh, Apr. 27 (BNA): Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received GCC Ministers of Interior at Yamama Palace in Riyadh today. They are taking part in the 17th GCC Interior Minister's meeting. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, also attended the meeting. The GCC Interior Ministers expressed their thanks and appreciation for the dedicated efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and head of the current session of the GCC Supreme Council to reinforce Gulf cooperation to achieve its noble goals, including the realisation of the aspirations of Gulf nationals for further unity, integration and prosperity. They also appreciated the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa headed the Bahraini delegation attending the meeting which was chaired by Head of the current session HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. The meeting discussed important security issues that could reinforce the joint security system and the goals of the GCC countries to achieve security and stability and protect their achievements. GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani said that the ministers reviewed the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to reinforce joint GCC security operations and appreciated the approval of this vision by the GCC leaders attending the 36th session held in Riyadh in December. He added that the ministers directed the undersecretaries of the Interior ministries to follow up on the implementation of this ambitious vision. He said that they appreciated the signing of the cooperation agreement between Oman and Qatar in the field of security and applauded the important step that could reinforce security cooperation between the two brotherly countries. They also reviewed a number of reports submitted by the undersecretaries of the Interior ministries, including the details of the meetings of the operations team of the joint GCC security exercise "Arabian Gulf Security1" and the latest work of the security team assigned to bring the GCC countries into one secure network. Dr. Al-Zayani said that Interior Ministers affirmed their commitment to fight terrorist groups threatening security and stability and praised the Saudi initiative to form an Islamic coalition to fight the Da'esh terrorist group since it posed a major risk to the security and stability of the region and the world. The Interior Ministers praised the outcome of the Gulf-US summit hosted in Riyadh on April 21, including the commitment by the GCC countries and the US to enter into a strategic partnership to achieve regional security, stability and prosperity and to take further steps to defeat Daesh and Al Qaeda as well as strengthen the GCC countries’ ability to counter foreign and internal threats and the Iranian activities meant to disturb stability. They also appreciated Kuwait for hosting the political negotiations between the United Nations envoy with the parties concerned to end the Yemeni crisis and bring peace to Yemen. On the sidelines of the meeting, Lt. Gen Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa met UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister His Highness Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, , as part of the security cooperation and coordination between the two brotherly countries. He commended strong historic ties between the two countries that are witnessing development in the era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and his brother His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, UAE President. They also discussed security cooperation and coordination between the Interior Ministries of both countries and issues of common interest. The MOI delegation included the Bahrain Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the Ministry Undersecretary and a number of officers. (MOI – Media Centre)