(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) By Mohammad Al-Enezi
MANAMA, Sept 29 (KUNA) -- GCC countries coast guards constitute the first defense shield in face of external threats and these naval forces' role is very much vital because bulk of their exports are dispatched to the markets by sea, affirmed a visiting senior Kuwaiti official.
The GCC countries primarily depend on oil and gas exports that are transported by the sea, thus the straits and navigation in the Gulf must be secured, said Maj. Gen. Zuhair Al-Nasrallah, the Kuwaiti Interior Undersecretary for marine borders security.
The coast guards are keen on securing free navigation via the Gulf waters, said Al-Nasrallah, speaking to KUNA on sidelines of gathering, themed naval patrol ships in the Middle East (2016).
The gathering grouping security and military officials from regional countries aimed at discussing cooperation among Middle Eastern states to safeguard the maritime security "and carried a message for facing threats against the region." Al-Nasrallah added that the conferees debated a host of issues namely plans to cope with emerging challenges and problems such as mushrooming illegal immigration, trafficking and contamination of the marine environment.
The gathering was an opportunity for the Kuwaiti Coast Guards to bolster cooperation with the GCC and allied states for preserving the marine security particularly the Kuwaiti territorial waters, said Al-Nasrallah.
The Kuwaiti delegation presented a document during the meeting, tackling schemes for bolstering the Kuwaiti Coast Guards' role in cooperation with the GCC naval forces and the US Fifth Fleet in the Gulf.
The paper addressed some military and technical issues such as joint training, monitoring and information exchange.
The three-day meeting, which ended today, involved commanders, experts, representatives of international and regional organizations. (end) mga.rk