GCC unity in stances led council to become effective force globally - Prince Faisal

RIYADH, June 1 (KUNA) -- Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan affirmed Wednesday on the unity of GCC states and stands towards international issues and crises which has led to the emergence of the council as one of the effective and influential international forces.
The remarks by Prince Faisal came in a speech during the GCC 152nd session of the Ministerial Council at the headquarters of the Council's secretariat in Riyadh.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah headed the Kuwaiti delegation in the meeting, in the presence of the ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and with the participation of GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf.
Prince Faisal added, "today we witnessed two fruitful meetings with the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine, which reflected our unified position towards the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and its negative repercussions, especially with regard to food security in the affected countries and the world." Prince Faisal noted, "establishing the foundations of our regional security is one of the most important pillars of our unity, which faces great challenges that require close coordination to reach a common approach towards our international relations to take care of our interests." The Saudi top diplomat asserted in this regard, "Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs, its arming of militias, its support for terrorism, and its destabilizing behavior in the region come at the top of these challenges." He stressed the need for "our dialogue and communication with Iran to be based on a unified Gulf position, through which we call on it to calm down, cooperate and adhere to the principles of international legitimacy and good neighborhood status so that we can work together to achieve our development plans within a stable regional environment that embraces partnerships and supports economic diversification programs." (end) mdm.mb