Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, receives in Riyadh Tuesday defense ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council countries participating in the 11th session of the Joint Defense Council. — SPA RIYADH – Defense ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) decided here Tuesday to strengthen defense cooperation among member states and to develop the Peninsula Shield Force. A communique issued at the end of the 11th session of the Joint Defense Council said that the ministers also decided to set up an institute for defense and security. Earlier, addressing the session, Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense said: “At this meeting, we will discuss what has been achieved by committees and working groups that met during the past few months. I thank all for their great efforts and recommendations. Our meeting today comes at the conclusion of these meetings aiming to enhance the efforts of all armed forces in the GCC states to confront the risks that might emerge.” Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani, GCC Secretary General, said the Defense Council discussed aspects of joint military work and the recommendations adopted in this regard. The communique said that the defense ministers stressed the importance of finding a substitute to the current track of the telecommunications cable and unifying the references of medical services. The council discussed the dangers and threats facing the member states in the light of the various changes and developments in the region. In this context, the council condemned the recent blasts in Bahrain and stressed the members' full support to the Kingdom of Bahrain. – SPA
