Then, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain delivered a speech in which he announced opening of the 37th GCC Summit, welcoming the GCC leaders. The King of Bahrain has expressed thanks to and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his great efforts during works of the previous GCC session, lauding wisdom of King Salman in dealing with the challenges which contribute to develop trends of the coming work period. King Hamad also thanked the GCC leaders for their efforts in enhancing brotherly bonds among the GCC states and peoples. "In light of unprecedented political and economic events facing the whole world, we need more cooperation and integration among the GCC states. The Gulf council becomes an important platform seeking to enhance regional and international security and stability through active political initiatives of the regional conflicts and prevention of foreign interference in its internal affairs," he said. The King of Bahrain has highlighted economic projects, initiatives and agreements among the GCC states, pointing out capabilities of the GCC states in combating extremism and terrorism. He thanked the GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani in following, implementing and developing the decisions. --More 19:44 LOCAL TIME 16:44 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w284741