GCC Interior Ministers Hold 43rd Meeting in Manama

 The ministers of interior of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states held their 43rd meeting on Wednesday in the Kingdom of Bahrain, chaired by Minister of Interior of Bahrain and current session chair General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.
 Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz delivered an address at the meeting, saying: “It is a pleasure to meet with you at this meeting, in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to strengthen our joint Gulf security system.”
 He expressed his thanks to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and the Government of Bahrain for their generous hospitality.
 He thanked the Bahraini interior minister for the warm welcome and the efforts made during Bahrain's chairmanship of the current GCC session. He commended the efforts of GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi in coordinating and preparing for the meeting.
 Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud welcomed the GCC interior ministers to their second home, Saudi Arabia, which will host the 44th session of the meeting. He expressed Saudi Arabia’s eagerness to continue and strengthen joint Gulf security efforts.
 In his address, the Saudi interior minister highlighted the exceptional circumstances and highly sensitive regional and international developments, which pose challenges requiring a shift from merely responding to security events to anticipating them and preparing in advance to address them through comprehensive implementation plans and intensified efforts to coordinate and strengthen joint action in confronting regional and international challenges.
 Moreover, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud stressed that the security of GCC states is indivisible and that any threat against one member state constitutes a direct threat to the entire Gulf security system.
 He also said that the terrorist Houthi militia’s targeting of civilians and civilian and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, as well as its blatant attacks on the Two Holy Mosques, are acts that cannot be justified under any pretext or in any form.
 He noted that these actions threaten civilian lives and undermine security and stability in the Republic of Yemen and the wider region.
 Additionally, he noted that the meeting and the decisions it adopts reflect a genuine commitment, dedicated efforts and a unified position, in a manner that fulfills the aspirations of GCC leaders to protect their countries and communities and strengthen their security and stability.
 The GCC ministers of interior discussed the items on the agenda, which aim to strengthen joint security cooperation among the member states.