RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s interior minister on Wednesday urged Gulf governments to move beyond reacting to security incidents and to prepare for hardship in advance, saying any danger to a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council threatened the entire bloc.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif stressed the need for comprehensive planning and enhanced collaboration to confront problems resulting from regional and international changes, the Saudi Press Agency said, at the 43rd meeting of GCC interior ministers in Bahrain.
He said the security of the six-nation bloc is indivisible, stressing the need to deepen collaborative efforts to protect its countries and populations. The prince also criticised the Iran-backed Houthi militia’s targeting of civilians and civilian and commercial facilities in Saudi Arabia, including attacks on Islam’s two holiest mosques, which he termed as such.
Such assaults could not be justified on any pretext, given the threats to the lives of civilians as well as to security and stability in Yemen and the wider region, he said. Bahrain’s Interior Minister, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, chaired the conference, where ministers explored how to boost security cooperation amongst member governments.
Prince Abdulaziz noted that King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are steering Saudi Arabia’s efforts to bolster Gulf security cooperation. He also expressed his gratitude to the leadership of Bahrain for hosting the summit and the Secretary-General of the GCC, Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, for managing its preparations.
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