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UAE, Saudi set up coordination council

Jeddah - The move is based on shared religious, historical, social and cultural ties between the UAE and Saudi Arabia

The UAE and Saudi Arabia on Monday set up a bilateral coordination council. The signing ceremony for set-ting up the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council, held at the Peace Palace in Jeddah, was attended by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdu laziz of Saudi Arabia, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The move is based on shared religious, historical, social and cultural ties between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and their member-ship in the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States, and out of keenness to consolidate the fraternal relations between them, and their desire to intensify bilateral co-operation through continuous consultation and coordination in many areas. It also follows the directives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his brother King Salman.
The council is co-headed by Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia, with a number of ministers and officials in the two countries as members.
The agreement was signed by Dr Nizar Madani, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, and Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the UAE National Security Council.
The council aims at consultation and co-ordination in matters and issues of common interest in all fields. The agreement states that the council will meet periodically and alternately between the two countries. The chairman of the coordination council can establish joint committees and name members when the need arises. The joint committees formed by the council will hold periodic and alternate meetings between the two countries.
It emphasises that the establishment of the coordination council and tasks entrusted to it do not affect the obligations among the GCC states. Earlier, King Salman and Shaikh Mohammed discussed ways to strengthen fraternal ties between the two countries, and the overall regional and international issues of common concern.
The two leaders discussed the strategic relationship between the two countries and ways of enhancing it to a wider range of co-operation in all fields so as to achieve the common interests, and enhance prospects of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States. They also tackled current developments in the region, particularly in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Libya, and the risks posed by terrorist and extremist groups on the lives of innocent people, as well as on the foundations of stability and security of nations and peoples.
Shaikh Mohammed stressed the depth of the bonds between the two sisterly countries based on a strong and common will to achieve the interests of both countries and enhance their roles in achieving security and stability in the region. He pointed out that the challenges facing the region require double effort and continuous coordinated efforts on and consultation to face foreign agendas and dangers posed by the terrorism and extremism.