Fight against Terrorism: Saudi Arabia hosts Islamic Military Coalition, Morocco represented by Abdellatif Loudiyi
The proceedings of the 2nd meeting of the Council of Ministers of Defense of the Islamic Military Coalition for the Fight against Terrorism were held on Saturday in Riyadh, with the participation of the coalition’s member states, including Morocco.
Morocco was represented at this meeting, held under the theme “Combating Terrorism: A Shared Responsibility”, by Minister in charge of the National Defense Administration, Abdellatif Loudiyi.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, who serves as chairman of the coalition’s Council of Defense Ministers, announced during the meeting that Saudi Arabia will contribute $26.6 million to support initiatives financing the fund of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
Prince Khalid also announced that Saudi Arabia would support 46 training programs as part of the Coalition’s four ideological domains, including its media, military, and anti-terrorism financing fields.
After he reiterated the role of the message of Islamic religion in combating extremism and terrorism to achieve global security and peace, Prince Khalid pointed out that the aspirations of the IMCTC require concerted efforts, in addition to integration, cooperation, and partnership between member states, various countries of the world, and international bodies.
Condemning the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, Prince Khalid stressed that this aggression requires a unified stance by the member states of the Coalition to denounce Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
He asserted the need to stop this aggression immediately following the decisions of the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh on November 11, 2023.
In their final statement, the member states expressed their support for the emphasis conveyed in the speech of the Saudi Defense Minister on the importance of a unified stance among member states in condemning the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The defense ministers emphasized their countries’ determination to enhance cooperation, coordinate efforts, and unite them to avert terrorism risks.
They stressed the importance of joint collective action to confront all forms and manifestations of terrorism and extremism.
They also expressed their satisfaction with the progress achieved in the Coalition’s journey, confirming their commitment to fight terrorism and eliminate it through organized collective action and comprehensive planning.
The defense ministers reviewed the alliance’s 2023 annual report and its operational and financial performance report.
The defense ministers were briefed on the Coalition’s methodology and the initiatives it encompasses, designed according to the needs of the member states.
The final statement recognized the importance of activating the initiatives aimed at combating terrorism under its various forms.
The attendees agreed to launch a fund for financing the Coalition’s initiatives, which is dedicated to receiving financial contributions from the member states, supporting countries, and international bodies and organizations.
They also welcomed countries desiring to join the Coalition in the future.
In addition to three partner countries, the Islamic Military Coalition for the Fight against Terrorism has 42 member states working collectively to launch initiatives covering its areas of action.
