GCC defense ministers discuss in Muscat ways to enhance military cooperation, protection of security, borders

Saudi Arabia calls for refraining from paying any ransom money to Somali pirates

The Ministers of Defense of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States concluded the 8th Meeting of the Joint Defense Council of GCC States.

The meeting was chaired by Oman’s Minister Responsible for Defense Affairs Badr bin Saud Al-Busaeedi.

The Kingdom’s delegation to the meeting was led by Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General.

The one-day meeting dealt with ways of enhancing military cooperation between GCC states in addition to the activation of the joint defense agreement between the GCC states.

Prince Abdulrahman had arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday from Oman after heading the delegation of Saudi Arabia to the 8th joint defense meeting of the GCC countries.

At King Khaled International Airport, he was received by General Ali bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, the Director of the Office of Crown Prince, Deputy Premier Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector and a number of commanders and senior officers.

Prince Abdulrahman was accompanied by a number of princes.

On departure from Muscat, Prince Abdulrahman was seen off by a number of Omani senior officers and Saudi Ambassador to Oman Abdulaziz bin Suleiman Al-Turki.

On Sunday evening, Prince Abdulrahman graced a dinner party hosted by the Saudi Ambassador.

The party was attended by a number of princes accompanying Prince Abdulrahman.

Busaeedi delivered a speech in which he thanked all ministers of defense of the GCC states and praised the pioneering role played by the GCC general secretariat to the good of the joint Gulf action in the defensive field.

The conferees have decided at the concluding session to refer the outcome of their meeting to the Supreme Council for ratification.

Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah, the first Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense in the state of Kuwait delivered an address and extended an invitation for the next joint defense council meeting in his country.

The conferees discussed the problem of piracy off the Somali coasts in resumption of the content of the Riyadh Declaration, issued at the conclusion of their previous meeting, that called for setting up joint naval forces from the Gulf and Red Sea countries under one command for a period of one year in line with international legitimacy and UN Security Council resolutions in this respect.

A high-level Saudi official called on ship owners to stop paying any ransoms for the Somali pirates, noting the money paid as ransoms could be considered as abortion of the efforts of naval forces.

Admiral Prince Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saud, the commander of the Saudi navy, said paying that ransom money could lead to perpetuation of this phenomenon in Somalia and even elsewhere.