His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stated that joint military work receives from Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the Cooperation Council countries all attention, care, and support, out of their belief in the bonds of cohesion that unite the Council's countries, and their awareness of the responsibility of the armed forces of the member states in securing their security and stability, as well as protecting their integrity.
This came during the twenty-first session of the Joint Defense Council of the Cooperation Council countries, on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, in the Qatari capital, Doha, chaired by His Excellency Shaikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs of the State of Qatar - President of the current session -, and attended by Their Highnesses and Excellencies, the Ministers of Defense of the Council's countries.
At the beginning of the meeting, His Excellency extended his highest thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to His Highness Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar and the President of the current session of the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for His Highness' generous patronage and guidance, and for the strenuous efforts exerted by the State of Qatar to elevate the march of joint Gulf work and achieve the lofty goals of the Cooperation Council.
His Excellency also extended his sincere congratulations to Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the Council's countries, and their citizens, on these blessed days in which the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Qatar celebrate their glorious national holidays, praying to Allah the Almighty to perpetuate the blessing of security and safety upon the Council's countries and their citizens, and to culminate good endeavors with success. He also congratulated His Excellency Shaikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs of the State of Qatar, on the occasion of assuming his new position, praying to Allah the Almighty to grant him success and guide his steps in his tasks.
Moreover, His Excellency the Secretary General expressed his thanks and appreciation for the great role played by the GCC Joint Defense Council in developing and strengthening joint Gulf military work, and for their sound guidance in expanding its horizons and deepening its ties. He also commended the efforts of Their Excellencies, the Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces of the Council's countries, members of the Supreme Military Committee, for their continuous follow-up, great efforts, and constructive initiatives to develop the march of joint Gulf military work.
His Excellency also mentioned during the speech that Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the Cooperation Council countries praised in the final statement issued by the Supreme Council in its forty-fourth session the continuation of joint military work through the unified military command and its units and affiliated centres, and the joint exercises and coordination meetings for exercises held during 2023, affirming their ongoing work to achieve joint military integration among the armed forces of the Council's countries, which enhances this blessed GCC march and provides it with the ability to face various challenges, present and future.
His Excellency also praised the great role played by the armed forces of the Council's countries, their high efficiency and distinguished capabilities, and the discipline, professionalism, dedication, and loyalty of their personnel in performing their assigned tasks, their exceptional performance in coordinating and managing military operations, training, and joint exercises, as well as their distinguished absorption of modern and advanced military systems technology.
Furthermore, His Excellency the Secretary General pointed out that the region is witnessing an acceleration of events and significant transformations due to regional and international conditions, which have directly and indirectly affected security and stability in the region, and their impact has also extended to economic aspects. He noted that these circumstances confirm that the continued military and security coordination we all undertake is imperative and important to address challenges efficiently and effectively.