Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa participated in the Arab League Council’s ministerial-level meeting during an extraordinary session held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League in Cairo. He stated that the Islamic Coalition formed recently by Saudi Arabia is considered the most important decision taken by Arabs, who are responsible to fight terrorism which has spread quickly in the region. He also told Asharq Al-Awsat that the work of the coalition would include two paths in the coming days. The first will include the exchange of information, training, arms and troops when necessary and the second path would be intellectual, as the coalition will intensify efforts on the scientific, religious, intellectual, political and financial levels.

He expects the participation of Islamic countries in the coalition to be voluntary and without any obligation as every country can offer what it wants and request what it needs in order to boost and intensify efforts to fight terrorism.

In a related report, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Wazed has confirmed her country’s readiness to participate in the Islamic Coalition, indicating that the PM is planning a visit to Saudi Arabia soon with an aim to deepen relations between the two countries.

Moshi added that his country was one of the first to announce its participation in the Coalition to combat terrorism, considering it a real opportunity to prove that there is no relation between Islam and terrorism.

From his part, Ambassador of Mauritania to Saudi Arabia Mahmoud Ould Mohamed Lemine said that his country will work on convincing other African countries to join the Islamic Coalition, expecting to sign a defense agreement between Nouakchott and Riyadh within two weeks.