(With photos) ABU DHABI, Jan 30 (KUNA) -- A Kuwaiti officer underlined here Monday the significance of reinforcing inter-Gulf cooperation in maritime security and safety.
Speaking to KUNA on the sidelines of a Gulf conference on maritime security, Chief of the Kuwaiti Coast Guard Operation Section Lieutenant Commander Sheikh Mubarak Ali Al-Sabah called on the GCC member states to share experience with world experts in the field of maritime security and monitoring in order to meet relevant challenges and risks and to cement maritime safety in the Arabian Gulf.
He said he had delivered a lecture as part of the two-day gathering on the efforts of Kuwait and other GCC countries to ensure international sea passages and to fight piracy and infiltration as well as to maintain port security.
He added that he had also talked about practical steps and vital role by Kuwaiti Coast Guard in the protection of seaports.
He pointed to his body's strategic goals, including full maritime control over Kuwait's territorial water, fight against robbery, maritime smuggling as well as rescue.
The Kuwaiti officer, moreover, stressed the importance of liaison and joint exercises among the GCC coast guards and border control agencies.
Sheikh Mubarak reminded that 90 percent of world oil exports and 70 percent of Gulf oil exports pass through the Arabian Gulf.
The gathering focuses on the impact of climate change on regional maritime security and the fight against piracy.
Over 200 representatives from Gulf and foreign countries are partaking in the conference. (end) bmj.mt KUNA 302107 Jan 12NNNN