The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud delivered the following speech: In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful, Praise be to Allah and peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions, Dear Brothers, Your Majesties and Highnesses, His Excellency Friend Francois Hollande, Dear attendees, May Allah's Peace, mercy and blessings be upon you: We are pleased to welcome you and His Excellency Mr. Francois Hollande of the friendly French Republic, who joined us today as the first guest of honor at this consultative summit to reflect the strong relations between the GCC states and France. As we appreciate France's active role in contributing to the stability of our region and its positive positions toward our regional issues, we look forward to strengthening close relations linking our countries in all fields. At the outset of this meeting, we recall the great exploits of my brother, the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (May Allah bestow mercy upon his soul), who was the most keen to achieve the aspirations of our peoples for upgrading the march of our joint work so that our Council shall be an invincible entity constituting a powerful umbrella for the protection of our countries' security and stability. --More 15:49 LOCAL TIME 12:49 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w