Bahrain attends GCC joint meeting

The GCC Interior, Foreign and Defence Ministers held a joint meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and discussed key political, defence and security issues. Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud chaired the session. 
Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa, Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa and Defence Affairs Minister Lieutenant-General Youssef bin Ahmed Al-Jalahma attended. 
Addressing the joint session, Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa extended thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Premier and Defence Minister HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. 
He congratulated Saudi Arabia and Qatar on the release of Qatari and Saudi nationals who were kidnapped in Iraq, hailing the strenuous efforts which paid off. He paid tribute to GCC leaders for their keenness on strengthening the security of member states, stressing the importance of the meeting which, he said, reflects the spirit of cooperation and unity and further consolidates collective military, security and political work. 
"We look forward to achieving goals and implementing recommendations that aim to consolidate security and stability", he said, stressing the importance of the joint meeting which lays the foundation for unified political stances. 
Lt. Gen. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa stressed the need to strengthen the internal front, being the cornerstone to maintaining national security and stability. This internal front, he said, is being targeted from abroad by all means, stressing the necessity of standing unity, strengthening the spirt of citizenship and cohesion. 
He warned against the persistent threats coming from the Iranian and Iraqi territories to support terrorist groups, criminal activities and hostile media campaigns. He stressed the need to confront this challenge by all means, urging collective action and a unified vision to thwart threats. 
"These are not mere information but tangible facts", he said, citing the terrorist attacks that target the lives of the security forces and seek to derail efforts to maintain security and stability.He pointed out that these acts fueled sectarianism and extremism, warning against the danger of such threats which jeopardize political efforts to achieve security and stability. He paid tribute to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa for promoting tolerance, moderation and justice for all. 

Source: BNA