Qatari Coordination Council meeting ended here Tuesday with both sides pledging to “deepen” cooperation in a number of areas, including security in the wake of turmoil in the region. The council was co-chaired by Crown Prince Sultan, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Crown Prince of Qatar. In a joint statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the two sides stated they would develop bilateral relations between the two countries and “enhance and deepen ties” in terms of politics, security, finance, trade, investment, media and culture. The session was attended by Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior and Deputy Head of the Saudi side of the Council, and Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and Deputy Head of the Qatari side of the Council.? The statement said that the two sides discussed the latest developments in the region and confirmed the statement issued by the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at its extraordinary session in Manama. The statement had stressed that the GCC countries will jointly confront any danger to any one of its members, offered its full support to the Kingdom of Bahrain, reaffirmed its commitment to the security and stability of GCC countries and common security and defense agreements. The two sides called for wisdom in tackling turmoil in the region to ensure the security, stability and prosperity of affected countries and their people. The two sides agreed that military cooperation has been proceeding as planned and supervised by Military Affairs at the GCC Secretariat. The Qatari side expressed its desire to open a communication channel between the border guards of the Qatari Armed Forces and the General Directorate of Border Guards of the Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia. The two sides emphasized the importance of strengthening security cooperation, particularly in the fight against terrorism. They welcomed the signing of cooperation agreements in the field of civil defense, and combating of the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The two sides agreed to cooperate further in terms of finance, taxes, and preparation of government budgets. They expressed their satisfaction at the level of trade between the two countries. The two sides reaffirmed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on culture and the media; and expressed satisfaction at progress in discussions on cooperation between SPA and the Qatar News Agency (QNA). The Qatari side expressed its thanks and appreciation for King Abdullah's approval of scholarships for Qatari students at Saudi universities. The Qatari side said it looked forward to welcoming the Saudi side to attend the Council's fourth session in Doha, Qatar, next year.
