Crown Prince attends US-GCC Council summit

Camp David, May 15 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister today participated in the US-GCC Council summit at Camp David following an invitation from President Barack Obama to discuss ways to further strengthen US-GCC security cooperation and address regional security issues. His Royal Highness highlighted the important role of the summit in facilitating detailed and productive discussions on a range of critical issues facing the region, including Iran's nuclear programme and security cooperation to address emerging threats. His Royal Highness emphasised that scaling back Iran's nuclear programme is essential to achieving lasting regional security. He added that Bahrain expresses hope that the framework agreement between the p5+1 and Iran will lead to a significant change in Iran's policy regarding non-interference in the internal affairs of countries in the region. His Royal Highness highlighted that Bahrain's participation in the summit demonstrates His Majesty the King’s longstanding commitment to ensuring Bahrain contributes to strengthening regional and international security, and stressed that further enhancing cooperation between the US and GCC Council is a vital component of achieving long-term stability and prosperity in the region and wider world. Speaking about recent developments in Yemen, His Royal Highness highlighted that Bahrain is committed to supporting regional efforts to re-establish stability in Yemen, and added that the current phase of regional efforts are underpinned by UN Security Council resolution 2216, which seeks to find a political solution and takes into account the humanitarian needs of Yemen’s citizens. His Royal Highness went on to highlight the grave impact and destabilising effect of the Syrian war on the region, and added that Bahrain fully supports ongoing efforts by the UN Security Council to find an immediate and peaceful resolution. During the summit, His Royal Highness also highlighted that achieving peace between Palestine and Israel remains a matter of significant importance to Arab states, and stressed that Bahrain supports the efforts of Arab partners in the pursuit of a solution that protects the interests of all Palestinians based on international law, United Nations resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative. His Royal Highness went on to underline the GCC Council’s commitment to supporting the governments of Iraq and Libya in their fights against terrorism, and their pursuits of achieving long-term stability. Further, His Royal Highness noted that this is a pivotal moment for the region’s long-term security, and emphasised that there is a need to clearly define the broader extremist threat the region faces. His Royal Highness concluded by underlining Bahrain's unwavering commitment to fighting the spread of an evil theofascist ideology within the region.