The Supreme Council of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the Arab States started its 40th session under the chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in the presence of the leaders and heads of delegations of the GCC states at Diriyah Palace here today.
The inauguration session started with a recitation of versesfrom the Holy Quran.
Then, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud delivered the following speech:
In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful,
Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon theMessenger of Allah, his family and companions.
My brothers, Your Majesties, Highnesses, and Excellencies
Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you
I am pleased at the beginning of the works of this summit towelcome you, wishing you a pleasant stay in your second country, and we hopethat our meeting fulfills the hopes and aspirations of GCC citizens.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's hosting of this summit comes in response to the desire of the brothers in the United Arab Emirates that will chair the work of the fortieth session. It is my pleasure here to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to my brother Sultan Qaboos bin Said for his efforts that contributed to the success of the works of the previous Council's session, and to Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani for efforts exerted during his presidency, and I also congratulate Dr. Naif Al Hajraf on the occasion of being nominated as Secretary General of the Council, wishing him all success.
Our Council has been able since its establishment toovercome crises in the region. Our region today is undergoing circumstances andchallenges that call for concerted efforts to confront them, as the Iranianregime continues its hostile actions to undermine security and stability andsupport terrorism, which requires us to preserve the gains of our countries andthe interests of our peoples, work with the international community to stop theinterference of this regime, deal seriously with its nuclear program and theprogram to develop ballistic missiles, and secure energy sources, safety ofwaterways and freedom of maritime navigation.
We confirm our position on the Palestinian cause and theright of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with EastJerusalem (Al-Quds) as its capital.
We also value efforts of the Yemeni brothers, led by theYemeni government, in reaching the Riyadh Agreement, and we affirm theCoalition's continued support for the Yemeni people and their government, andthe importance of a political solution in Yemen according to the threereferences.
In conclusion, I welcome all of you again, asking AllahAlmighty to crown the works of this summit and all of us with full success.
Then, the GCC leaders and heads of delegations held a closed session.
The Kingdom's delegation participating in the SupremeCouncil of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the Arab States in its 40thsession includes His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz,Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense; Prince Turki bin Mohammedbin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Cabinet's Member; PrinceAbdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of the Interior; PrinceFaisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister ofState and Cabinet's Member Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban.
