RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said he welcomed the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to participate in the 41st session of the Supreme Council in Al-Ula on Jan. 5, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. King Salman said he hoped that the summit would culminate in successfully promoting joint action and expanding cooperation and integration among member states in all fields. During their weekly cabinet meeting chaired by the king, the Council of Ministers discussed the outcome of the first meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council, which was held under the chairmanship of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his Bahraini counterpart Salman bin Hamad. The ministers stressed the “Kingdom’s interest in pushing bilateral relations with Bahrain to more comprehensive heights and developing them in all fields,” the statement added. The Cabinet also discussed the results of the meeting of the Saudi-Russian Joint Governmental Committee for Commercial, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. “The meeting emphasized the importance of the high-level Saudi-Russian strategic framework, and the need to continue working on expanding and strengthening cooperation in a number of areas to advance bilateral relations, facilitate investments in joint ventures that include a wide range of industries and joint production of high-tech products,” the statement said. The ministers also said the two sides agreed to reaffirm their commitment to the cooperation agreement between oil-producing countries and the OPEC+ declaration to support the stability of global oil markets. The Cabinet also congratulated Saudi Aramco on the discovery of four new oil and gas fields and praised the energy minister and the state oil company for their efforts toward “exploration and production activities that support economic diversification in the Kingdom.” The ministers said the Kingdom welcomed the formation of a new government in Yemen “that includes all components of the Yemeni spectrum,” and the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement by the internationally recognized government and the Southern Transitional Council. Saudi Arabia also called on other countries and financial and international organizations to urgently respond to Sudan’s needs, and start forgiving its debts, following the Trump administration’s announcement to officially remove Sudan from the US list of countries sponsoring terrorism. The Cabinet also said the Kingdom condemned “terrorist attacks on vital installations,” the latest of which was an attack using a booby-trapped boat on a commercial ship transporting fuel in Jeddah. It said that “these criminal and sabotaging acts target international security” and maritime navigation thus destablizing energy supplies, adding that the international community must take practical deterrent measures against all terrorist groups and governments who support them.