UPDATE – Saudi announces new Red Sea, Horn of Africa grouping

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTRY</p> <p>By Mohammed al-Rayes</p> <p>RIYADH (AA) – Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced the creation of a grouping for Red Sea and Horn of Africa countries. </p> <p>“Through this grouping, we will be able to cooperate on all economic, environmental and security issues,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the opening session of a ministerial meeting of Arab and African countries bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. </p> <p>&quot;This grouping will enhance stability, security and trade in the region, contribute to creating harmony in this sensitive region and prevent any external force from playing a negative role,&quot; he said, without naming these forces.</p> <p>Egypt, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Jordan attended Wednesday’s meeting.</p> <p>&quot;The ministerial meeting of Arab and African countries bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden agreed to form a grouping including the seven participant countries,&quot; the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement at the end of the meeting.</p> <p>Saudi Arabia and Gulf allies accuse Iran of posing a threat to navigation in the Red Sea, an accusation vehemently denied by Tehran. </p> <p>The Saudi-led coalition, which has been launching a massive air campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, also accuses the Iran-backed rebels of threatening the movement of oil tankers in the Red Sea. </p> <p>Last year, Egypt hosted a similar meeting for countries overlooking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, attended by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Djibouti, Yemen, Sudan and Eritrea.