Saudi Arabia yesterday called on the leaders of member states of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to strengthen their ties and unite their voices. "We meet under one roof in Manama in disturbing regional and international circumstances," said Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, who is heading the Kingdom's delegation to the 25th GCC summit, which was opened yesterday by Bahrain's King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. "We trust that Bahrain's king will aim to achieve that goal, the goal of unity - it is an international need," Prince Sultan was quoted today as saying by Arab News. "The Bahraini leader is wise in his decisions and the region needs a strong push to continue its goals. The Gulf region needs to strengthen its presence in the international community. The GCC was set up to achieve certain goals of the citizens and that project should continue. The leaders will continue to achieve the goals set by the citizens. We are heading toward reforms and development," Prince Sultan said. --MORE 1025 Local Time 0725 GMT
