Leaders and Heads of Delegations of GCC Countries Start Works of Meeting of 42nd Session of GCC Supreme Council

The works of the meeting of the 42nd session of the GCC Supreme Council started at Diriyah Palace here today.
The leaders and heads of delegations of the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) were received at Diriyah Palace by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.
On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, chaired the meeting of the 42nd session of the GCC Supreme Council.
The inauguration session started with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran.
Then, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, delivered the following speech:
"In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Gracious,
Praise be to Allah, and prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah,
Your Majesties and Highnesses,
Peace be upon you,
On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, I am pleased to welcome you in your second country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and I am pleased to thank King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for the great efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Bahrain during its presidency of the 41st session of the Council.
Your Majesties and Highnesses,
We meet today, after four decades since the establishment of the GCC, in light of many challenges facing our region that require us to further coordinate efforts, in order to enhance our interdependence and security and stability of our countries.
In this regard, we point to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' vision and stress the importance of implementing the remaining steps, completing the elements of economic unity, and the joint defense and security systems in a way that enhances our regional and international role through unifying our political stances and developing partnerships with the international community.
We praise the great keenness we witnessed during our visits to the member countries of the GCC on the unity of ranks. We also commend the commitment and solidarity that led to the success of the outputs of AlUla Declaration issued on the 5th of January 2021.
Your Majesties and Highnesses,
We are looking forward today to complete the building of a prosperous economic bloc which requires creating an attractive and stimulating environment that depends on diversifying sources of income, launching the potential of our promising economic sectors, keeping pace with the technical developments in all fields, creating a balance to achieve security and stability in the global energy markets, and dealing with the phenomenon of climate change, through providing the world with clean energy and supporting innovation and development. For this reason, the Kingdom launched the Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives, and announced its objective to reach zero neutrality by 2060 through the circular carbon economy approach.
Your Majesties and Highnesses,
The Kingdom continues to make all efforts to enhance security and stability in the region and supports political solutions and dialogue to resolve conflicts.
In this regard, the Kingdom affirms the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities towards the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 parallel with East Al-Guds as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant international references.
We look forward that Iraq completes the procedures for forming a government, capable of continuing the work for the security, stability and development of Iraq.
We affirm our continuous support for the efforts of the UN envoy to reach a political solution to the Yemeni crisis in accordance with the three references and the Kingdom's initiative to end the Yemeni crisis.
The Kingdom stresses the importance of dealing seriously and effectively with the Iranian nuclear and missile program in a way that contributes to achieving regional and international security and stability.
The Kingdom also emphasizes the principles of good neighborliness, respect for UN resolutions, and sparing the region from all destabilizing activities.
The Kingdom is following the latest developments of the situation in Afghanistan, urging regional and international efforts to unite to provide humanitarian aid to the Afghan people. Afghanistan should not be a haven for terrorist organizations.
Your Majesties and Highnesses
The Council has made great achievements since its establishment. We look forward to achieving more to advance the joint GCC action in order to enhance the GCC's march at all levels.
Finally, we thank the efforts made by the GCC Secretariat General to make this summit a success. We ask Allah Almighty to guide us and direct our steps to serve our countries and peoples.
After that, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain, expressed sincerely wished the current session of the summit, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, every success, praising the results of the recent visits made by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, to the GCC countries, which paved the way for holding this summit.
He stressed the great role the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plays in converging the views, overcoming challenges and providing required solutions with the requirements of the current stage of work, leading to realizing the prosperity, rapprochement and more stability we wish for our countries. He pointed to the keenness of the Kingdom of Bahrain during its presidency of the 41st GCC session to follow up the implementation of the joint work agenda, thus achieving many important steps that are in the interest of the work of the Gulf Cooperation Council in order to contribute to the advancement of its march.
He praised the contents of AlUla Declaration, which stipulated the full implementation of the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in accordance with a specific timetable and careful follow-up of bilateral work among the GCC countries. He cited that the vision also calls for solving all outstanding issues, including completing the elements of the economic unity, the joint development programs, the defense and security systems and coordination of stances to enhance solidarity, stability and unity of the GCC countries in a way that consolidates their regional role in cooperation with the international community and regional and international organizations.
At the conclusion of his speech, he thanked the GCC Secretariat General for the unremitting efforts to advance the work of the Gulf Cooperation Council and its clear contribution to the preparation of this summit.
Then, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States, Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf delivered a speech in which he welcomed the leaders of the GCC's Member States.
Dr. Al-Hajraf said: Between Al Ula and Riyadh, a wise leadership with a solid Gulf resolve and a will that foresee the future stands out between challenges and ambitions, inaugurating the 5th decade of the blessed GCC march with an integrated and comprehensive view that preserves the gains achieved throughout the past four decades, builds more achievements and keeps pace with the post-pandemic world, which also witnesses blocs and intersectional approaches that require organized collective action and integrated effort to enhance the GCC march as an impenetrable fortress, a solid entity and a fundamental pillar of security, stability and development.
He added: the security of the GCC countries is indivisible, especially in light of the instability that the region and the world are witnessing. Accordingly the opening of the headquarters of the unified military command came under the royal patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense in the Kingdom Saudi Arabia, on Monday, November 22, 2021, as a message of determination to protect the security of the GCC's member states as well as a message of peace to protect the gains and capabilities of its states and citizens, he said.
The GCC's internal security is an interconnected system, Al-Hajraf said, citing the coordination in facing the challenges of organized crime, drugs, cyber-attacks and border security as an example that confirms the firm conviction and the result of continuous efforts. He also cited the comprehensive tactical exercise (Gulf Security 3), which will be hosted next month by the Eastern region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in which security forces from the GCC's member states will participate as a message of determination and peace.
Also, the GCC Secretary-General talked about the comprehensive and sustainable economic development that is based on wise and ambitious visions, being implemented by qualified and capable national competencies, and invests in the future in integration between achieving the national visions of each of the GCC's member states, and implementing joint GCC action decisions by completing the implementation of the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud which was approved by the Council in 2015 and requires activating the role of the Economic and Development Affairs Authority to follow up on the accomplishment of the remaining items, specifically completing the requirements of the GCC common market, the customs union and the economic judiciary to reach economic unity in 2025.
Dr. Al-Hajraf also stated that promoting GCC joint projects, localizing GCC capital, integrating the GCC industries map, water, food and energy security projects, activating the role of the GCC private sector, supporting youth and small projects and advancing the requirements of digital transformation and artificial intelligence, in addition to completing free trade agreements and activating partnerships and strategic dialogues as well as the effectiveness and presence of the GCC in international forums, and the strengthening of priorities for political, security and military cooperation and coordination, all of which are being dealt by the GCC General Secretariat through mechanisms to follow up on GCC joint action in implementation of the Council’s resolutions in order to activate the contents of Al Ula Declaration, protect the interests of the GCC's member states and serve its citizens.
He also said: Last week, the GCC's people followed up with a spirit of hope and optimism the results of the auspicious visits to GCC's member states made by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and his meetings with the leaders of each of them and the statements issued after each visit as well as the meetings of some of the coordinating councils, resulting in the affirmation of the strength, joint action and cohesion of GCC's member states towards preserving the gains and building for the future, while at the same time emphasizing that the security and stability of the GCC countries are indivisible.
Dr. Al-Hajraf also pointed out that the tour of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and its great interaction at all GCC levels within the framework of the great hopes of the Council's people and their firm belief in the strength of their council, the unity of their destiny, the integration of their goals, the loftiness of their missions, the solidity of their achievements and the solidity of their gains, are derived from the visions of the GCC leaders, and the royal patronage and inspiring directions as well as dignified instructions that the march enjoys, representing the safety valve and a future outlook towards more security, stability, prosperity and development.
He affirmed full confidence that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the activities of the 42nd session will be inspiring and stimulating to achieve a qualitative leap in all areas of GCC joint action, praising the role of the Kingdom of Bahrain, government and people, under the leadership of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for the great support accorded to the GCC joint action during its presidency of the last session.
Then, the leaders and heads of delegations of the GCC member states held a closed working session.
The Kingdom's official delegation includes Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Cabinet's member; Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Minister of National Guard; Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dr. Musaed bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, Minister of State, Cabinet's Member and National Security Advisor.