GCC warns against foreign interference in Yemen

(With POL-GCC-INTERIOR-STATEMENT) JEDDAH, Oct 1 (KUNA) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Wednesday warned that the bloc will not stand "idly" regarding foreign interference in Yemen, and stressed that "Yemen's security is integral to the GCC security." The GCC Interior Ministers made the warning in their extraordinary meeting in Jeddah today where they discussed security developments in Yemen in light of the "regrettable" recent events in the capital Sanaa and other parts of the country.
The aggression, which the security and the civilian institutions in Yemen have been witnessing, is against the country's sovereignty and exposes the safety of the people to danger, a press statement said after the meeting.
The GCC ministers expressed "deep worry" over the "threats to the Yemeni government and its bodies." They also affirmed that the GCC support to Yemen and its people through legitimacy, and in line with the relevant UN resolutions, the GCC Initiative and the outcome of the national dialogue in the country, condemning the use of force in recent acts there.
The GCC Jeddah meeting, chaired by Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, stressed that all the seized headquarters of official institutions and the looted weaponry and other military equipment and property must be returned to the State.
They noted that these events pose a threat to the region's security and stability.
The statement said that the extraordinary meeting had been convened at the behest of the GCC leaders in the aftermath of regrettable developments in Yemen.
For his part, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled, Acting Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Acting Defense Minister, said that the accelerating developments in Yemen "will overshadow the security of the GCC member states." Addressing today's meeting, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled underscored the importance of consultations to seek the best ways to "distance our countries form all dangers and negative impact of these events." Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled left Jeddah on the way home after the meeting ended. (end) nh.msa