Qatar's PM chairs GCC ministers of interior consultative meeting

HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani presided over the 16th Consultative Meeting of Their Excellencies the GCC Ministers of Interior which began on Wednesday at the Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel.

At the outset of the meeting, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior delivered a speech in which he welcomed Their Excellencies the GCC Ministers of Interior and conveyed the greeting of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani as well as his whishes for the successful meeting.

HE the Prime Minister extended his thanks to Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for his efforts which contributed significantly to the progress of the GCC states and advanced their joint security cooperation.

HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani also congratulated the people and government of Oman on the return of Sultan Qaboos to Oman enjoying full health and well-being.

His Excellency also congratulated Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on his appointment as Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister and Head of the Council of the Political and Security Affairs, wishing him success in his duties.

HE the Prime Minister hoped that the 16th Consultative Meeting in Doha today would contribute to the progress of the joint GCC action in order to implement the directives of the GCC leaders that called for more accomplishments to further boost GCC growth and achieve security, stability and well-being for their peoples.

The meeting, His Excellency said, is being held under exceptional circumstances and unprecedented challenges facing the GCC and the entire Arab region, adding that these challenges include political instability and insecurity in a number of countries at the top of them is Yemen which 'its stability is part and parcel of our stability'.

HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani praised the positions taken by GCC leaders to address all challenges facing the GCC states, commending the decision by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to launch Operation Decisive Storm.

HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister lauded the progress of the joint security action along with the cooperation between the GCC countries, terming it as a model to be followed at the regional and international levels.

Security is one of the biggest challenges facing the GCC states due to drastic changes and developments and sensitive circumstances in the region, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani said.

"We look forward to achieving the lofty goals set by our leaders to promote and develop the security systems in our countries through a futuristic vision that can deal with serious security challenges facing GCC security agencies," His Excellency said, stressing that "this can only be achieved through doubling efforts, coordination and security cooperation in various fields so as to consolidate our unity and strengthen security and stability of our countries and bring more prosperity for our peoples, as well as distance our countries from disturbances so that we can focus on the most important issues related to the economic, social and human development".

HE the Prime Minister said terrorism comes at the forefront of security challenges, and is one of the most serious crimes faced by the GCC countries and the whole world, pointing to recent attack on a security patrol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which led to the martyrdom of two Saudi soldiers, as well as a bomb blast in the village of Karana in Bahrain which injured two police officers. "We stand by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in facing all acts of violence which aimed at destabilizing security and stability not only in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia but also in other Arab Gulf states." "Our discussions to establish a unified Gulf blacklist of entities and terrorist elements, which the experts committee completed its criteria and necessary measures for including these entities and elements, necessitate that we should approve those criteria and implement them to confront terrorist threats targeting any member of the GCC countries as well as to prosecute the wanted persons and those involved in terrorist acts." Concluding his speech, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani praised the great efforts made by the GCC General Secretariat, led by GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdul Latif Al Zayani in preparing for this meeting.

Speaking at the event, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed thanks to HH the Emir and the government and people of Qatar for hosting the meeting, and congratulated GCC leaders for the success of Operation Decisive Storm.

In turn, Bahrain's Minister of Interior Lt. Gen. Sheikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa lauded Operation Decisive Storm as a "legitimate process that all Arabs agreed upon, was backed by international legitimacy and succeeded before its beginning." He said the operation succeeded in achieving its legitimate objectives and was also a success in terms of planning and execution and was the subject of regional, Arab and international support.

The Bahraini minister added that the operation resembled a common position in the decision-making as well as Arab and Gulf commitment, congratulating GCC leaders for the political, military and security success.

He expressed hope that the operation will achieve its objectives of the return of legitimacy to Yemen and for citizens to enjoy security, stability and prosperity.
HE said that exploring GCC states' political approach to the future in light of the Gulf and regional variables makes the promotion of cooperation and integration at the forefront of GCC priorities in order to achieve the union, which has become a tangible reality and a foregone conclusion.

Meanwhile, Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said the meeting comes within the framework of regular and renewable meetings for discussion, consultation and exchange of views on issues of common interest in security so as to reach a common vision on them.

He explained that necessities imposed by the recent regional situation and the fight against terrorism and organized crime come on top of the security issues as they go beyond the limits of a single state, which requires continuous cooperation and coordination to address them in order to achieve security and stability.

In this regard, he praised Operation Decisive Storm under the leadership of Saudi Arabia and the objectives it achieved in terms of supporting Yemeni people and its legitimate government and restoring hope in realizing security and stability.

The current circumstances in the region, he added, calls for more vigilance, solidarity, coordination and developing the security work in order to achieve integration to a Gulf security system capable of tackling challenges and difficulties and taking a unified stance towards regional issues in order to achieve the security and stability that GCC peoples aspire to.