The Qatari Prime Minister and Interior Minister lauded the progress of the joint security action along with the cooperation between the GCC countries, terming it as a model to be followed at the regional and international levels. "Security is one of the biggest challenges facing the GCC states due to drastic changes and developments and sensitive circumstances in the region," Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser said. "We look forward to achieving the lofty goals set by our leaders to promote and develop the security systems in our countries through a futuristic vision that can deal with serious security challenges facing GCC security agencies," he said, stressing that "this can only be achieved through doubling efforts, coordination and security cooperation in various fields so as to consolidate our unity and strengthen security and stability of our countries and bring more prosperity for our peoples, as well as distance our countries from disturbances so that we can focus on the most important issues related to the economic, social and human development". The Qatari Prime Minister said terrorism comes at the forefront of security challenges, and is one of the most serious crimes faced by the GCC countries and the whole world, pointing to recent attack on a security patrol in Riyadh which led to the martyrdom of two Saudi soldiers, as well as a bomb blast in the village of Karana in Bahrain which injured two police officers. "We stand by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in facing all acts of violence which aimed at destabilizing security and stability not only in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia but also in other Arab Gulf states." "Our discussions to establish a unified Gulf blacklist of entities and terrorist elements, which the experts committee completed its criteria and necessary measures for including these entities and elements, necessitate that we should approve those criteria and implement them to confront terrorist threats targeting any member of the GCC countries as well as to prosecute the wanted persons and those involved in terrorist acts." Concluding his speech, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser praised the great efforts made by the GCC General Secretariat, led by GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif Al Zayani in preparing for this meeting. --SPA 18:04 LOCAL TIME 15:04 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w