RIYADH: The Houthi militia’s heinous attacks constitute criminal behavior that called for a firm international stance, Jasem Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said on Sunday as Gulf foreign ministers met in Manama to discuss regional and international developments.

“The Houthis’ heinous attacks constitute deliberate criminal behavior,” he said. Houthi attacks have targeted civilian and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, Albudaiwi added.

“We reaffirm our support for Saudi Arabia and all measures it takes to protect its security.”

Albudaiwi added that “Iran’s dangerous actions threaten the security of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

He added that 7,000 ballistic missiles have targeted Gulf facilities since February 28, when the US-Iran war broke.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani, who is chairing the meeting, also reiterated his country’s condemnation of the Houthi attacks against civilians in Saudi Arabia and stressed Manama’s solidarity and support for any measure that the Kingdom would take in self-defense.

Al-Zayani also expressed support to the continued mediation efforts of Oman and Qatar to end the US-Iran war, and emphasized that Gulf states must be involved in any negotiations affecting their security.

Asharq Al-Awsat earlier reported that the meeting will discuss a number of issues related to advancing joint Gulf action and review the latest developments in the region and the world.

The Manama meetings take on added significance with the convening of the ninth Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf-Russian Strategic Dialogue on the sidelines of the GCC’s 168th ministerial session. The meeting aims to strengthen relations between the two sides and broaden the scope of their partnership across various fields.

The strategic dialogue meeting is taking place amid extremely delicate circumstances in the region, Albudaiwi stressed on Sunday.

HE earlier said the Gulf-Russian meeting reflects the GCC states’ efforts to deepen their relations with countries and regional and international blocs and to build strategic partnerships that strengthen their presence and role on the international stage.

The Secretary-General said the talks will address ways to further develop Gulf-Russian cooperation and exchange views on issues of mutual concern in a manner that serves the interests of both sides.

The strategic dialogue between the GCC and Russia is based on a memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides in November 2011, which established an institutional framework for developing relations, conducting political consultations, and strengthening cooperation in areas of shared interest.

Albudaiwi reaffirmed ongoing efforts to further advance Gulf-Russian relations in ways that serve mutual interests and strengthen the partnership between the two sides.