MECCA: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting held here on Friday condemned, in its final communique, the attacks targeting two oil pumping stations in the Saudi provinces of Al Dawadmi and Afif in Riyadh, affirming that such acts represented a direct threat to peace and security in the region.
Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tareq al Said led the Sultanate’s delegation taking part in deliberations of the GCC and Arab emergency summits, as well as the 14th session of the Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The communique also denounced the sabotage acts on four civil commercial vessels in the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates, which affected UAE oil tanker, two Saudi tankers, and Norwegian oil tanker, considering it a dangerous escalation that threatens the security and safety of maritime navigation in this vital region of the world and negatively affects regional and international peace and security as well as stability of oil markets.
The communique of the emergency summit underscored the need for cohesion and cooperation of the GCC and the unity of its ranks to confront these threats as they are linked by special relations and common features based on Islamic doctrine, Arab culture, and unity of purpose.
The leaders also lauded the level of coordination and consultation with the United States and the US-GCC joint cooperation within the framework of the existing strategic partnership in order to achieve security and stability in the region.
The statement reviewed the defence policy of the GCC on the principle of integrated and collective security, respecting the interests of each member state, its territories, airspace and territorial waters, and emphasised the clauses included in the joint defence agreement between the member states.
The statement stressed the positions of the Supreme Council and its fixed decisions on relations with Iran, stressing the need for Iran to abide by the principles based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law and good principles.
The statement stressed keenness of GCC countries to maintain stability, security and peace in the region and on the growth of the global economy and the stability of oil markets.
The Council expressed its deep appreciation and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the meeting, its government and the people of the kingdom for their hospitality. — ONA
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