GCC defence ministers convene in Jeddah

The first consultative meeting of the Joint Defense Council of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)'s Ministers of Defense kicked off here Wednesday with the attendance of US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. "We are here today amid highly important circumstances and increasing threats to the region's security and stability," Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said at the opening speech carried by the official news agency (SPA). He underlined that that this situation requires more "contacts and exchange viewpoints with our friends in order to coordinate the positions, policies and defense plans of our countries towards any development or emergency according to our group's joint perspective." The Saudi Crown Prince warned that a number of serious security challenges facing the Arab region. He cited as examples for such challenges: the political crises battering some Arab countries, the race to obtain mass destruction weapons, the interference of some countries in the GCC internal affairs and the growing phenomenon of terrorism. He suggested that the security challenges, whether they are the result of internal crises or malicious schemes from some countries in the region, will have impacts not only on the GCC countries but also on the regional and international security and peace. "(This makes) the security of the Gulf and its countries a joint responsibility between the GCC countries and the world community, particularly the United States of America given the economic and security ties between the U.S. and the GCC member states as well as the constant commitment of the United States to keep the security and stability of the region." He also noted that the tragic sufferings witnessed by the peoples in our region and the destruction of some countries' institutions and structures will send their aftershocks in the region and negatively affect the world community. He added that the increasing terrorism is one of those repercussions. "So, any hesitance and delay to deal decisively with the regional crises will have its impact on increasing the sufferings of peoples and destructing some countries," he cautioned. He argued that decisive and courageous positions are always the points from which history takes the right way and nations salvaged. "The new security developments in our region require forging joint policies and positions that respond to the security challenges in all kinds, topped by upgrading the level of coordination and cooperation between defense sectors in the GCC countries and the friendly countries which are interested in the security and stability of our region, led by the United States of America," he said. "We hope (the U.S.) will take into its consideration the security and increasing political threats for the security of the Gulf and its countries, including the plans of some countries in the region to change the balance of regional powers to their favor and at the expense of other countries in the region," Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud concluded. He, then, conveyed to the conferees the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his wishes that the meeting yields creating a future cooperation framework that complies with the changes and challenges witnessed by the region. Kuwait is represented in the meeting by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrallah Al-Sabah.