Commanders of the naval commands and experts of the ministries of foreign affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea demanded that the Red Sea be excluded from any international arrangements on fighting sea piracy as the security of the Red Sea is the main responsibility of the Arab countries overlooking it. The Commanders and experts called for the formation of an Arab naval task force from the GCC countries and Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea to fight piracy in accordance with resolutions of international legitimacy and UN Security Council issued on fighting piracy numbers 1814, 1816, 1838 and 1851 and called for it to be under a unified command for one year. Then, a review of the situation should follow, the commanders and experts said. This came in the Riyadh Declaration issued by the joint meeting of the Commanders of the naval commands and experts of the ministries of foreign affairs of the GCC countries and Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea. The meeting was concluded here today. The countries that participated in the meeting called for by Saudi Arabia included United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait and Yemen. The Riyadh Declaration said the Saudi Royal Naval Forces shall coordinate efforts by the naval commands in the Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea and GCC countries and shall call for holding a meeting in two months to discuss responses by the countries that participated in the meeting and to set a mechanism for following up the proposals in this declaration. The Participants thanked Saudi Arabia for this important meeting and for the hospitality.
