Manama, Safar 14, 1436, Dec 6, 2014, SPA -- Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, met here today with various top officials of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue. The Bahraini Crown Prince praised the deep and brotherly ties between the GCC countries and the role played by the countries’ leadership in enhancing regional cooperation. He also extended his gratitude for the significant level of participation from the GCC countries in this year’s Manama Dialogue, which reflects the growing importance of this forum in providing a key opportunity for serious and productive discussions on a range of critical security issues. Crown prince Salman went on to stress the importance of taking a holistic approach in the fight against theocratic fascism to achieve a more stable and secure Middle East, aligning the international coalition’s efforts with GCC strategies and international political and economic policies. Furthermore, he stressed that the GCC should continue to work closely to identify joint approaches to address regional security challenges, including blocking all means used by extremist groups as they work to undermine long-term development and prosperity for all people across the Middle East. --SPA 23:18 LOCAL TIME 20:18 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w