Cairo, Dec 31, 2018, SPA -- The Speaker of Arab Parliament, Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami has highly appreciated the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to establish a Group of Arab and African Coastal States of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden (AARSGA) and the launching of the joint naval drill "Red Wave 1" with the participation of seven Arab countries, namely the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, Yemen and Djibouti and observers from the Federal Republic of Somalia. He praised, in a statement today, the appreciated efforts being exerted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH Crown Prince in calling for holding and hosting of the meeting which led to the establishment of such important group and the pivotal role being played by the Kingdom in light of critical circumstances being witnessed by the Arab world to enhance cooperation and coordination among Arab countries and maintain security, peace and stability regionally and globally. Dr. Al-Salami described the establishment of this group as an important strategic step to protect the territorial waters of Arab countries and to secure navigation in the Red Sea, which is of great importance to the Arab countries' economy and international trade, where 13% of the world's trade flows through it. --SPA 13:25 LOCAL TIME 10:25 GMT 0008 www.spa.gov.sa/w813368