Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman received in Riyadh on Monday the foreign ministers of Arab and African countries that border the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
The ministers were in Saudi Arabia to attend a meeting of the member states of the regional bloc of seven Arab and African countries bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The organization includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia and Jordan.
King Salman discussed with his guests efforts to develop joint cooperation with Red Sea and Gulf of Aden states.
Earlier at the bloc’s meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah stressed the need to accelerate the rate of cooperation and bolster capabilities to confront any dangers or challenges in the region.
He also underlined the need to safeguard the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden regions against any threats.
Saudi Arabia is keen on coordinating and cooperation with the members of the bloc to “confront the challenges that are surrounding us from all sides,” continued Prince Faisal.
The ministers signed at the meeting the founding charter for the seven-member bloc ahead of a summit that will be called for by King Salman.
The meeting tackled common security, political and investment interests, securing marine navigation and confronting foreign meddling in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Speaking to reporters later, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia does not want to see further escalation of tensions in the region at a "very dangerous moment", following Friday's killing by a US drone of Iran's most prominent military commander, Qassem Soleimani.
"We are very keen that the situation in the region doesn't escalate any further. It's certainly a very dangerous moment and we have to be conscious of the risks and dangers not just to the region but to wider global security," he added.
"We hope that all actors take all the steps necessary to prevent any further escalation and any provocation," he said.
