With the rise in tension in US-Saudi relations against the backdrop of the OPEC + decision to reduce oil production, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries expressed their full support and solidarity with Riyadh, and expressed their rejection of the US statements towards the Kingdom.
The Gulf Cooperation Council expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia and praised its rejection of the US statements issued against it against the backdrop of the OPEC + group's decision to reduce crude oil production.
On October 5, the OPEC + alliance announced a production cut of two million barrels per day, starting next November, which led to an increase in oil prices by about 10%, before declining slightly this week.
And the Gulf Cooperation Council said in a statement on Thursday that its Secretary-General, Nayef Al-Hajraf, "welcomed the statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Thursday), which includes the complete rejection of the statements issued against the Kingdom following the issuance of the OPEC + decision."
Amid US calls for imposing sanctions on Saudi Arabia, President Joe Biden warned the kingdom on Wednesday of the "consequences" of the OPEC + decision and announced a reassessment of relations with Riyadh.
Al-Hajraf expressed "full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its complete rejection of these statements issued against it, which lack facts," according to the statement.
He praised the "important and pivotal role" played by Saudi Arabia in "protecting the global economy from fluctuations in energy prices and ensuring its supplies in accordance with a balanced policy that takes into account the interests of producing and consuming countries."
He recalled the "historic role of Saudi Arabia in contributing to addressing the economic challenges facing the world in accordance with the principle of mutual respect between countries, promoting common interests, and maintaining regional and international security and peace."
Saudi Arabia is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which was established on May 25, 1981, and is headquartered in Riyadh. It also includes Qatar, the Emirates, Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman and Bahrain.
And earlier on Thursday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Washington had requested, during consultations, to postpone the OPEC + decision for a month, but the delay would have led to “negative” economic consequences.
The Kingdom confirmed that the outputs of the OPEC + meetings are adopted by consensus among member states, and no country is unique in it.
She stressed that the decision to cut production is "purely economic" and takes into account the balance of supply and demand in the oil markets and limits fluctuations that do not serve the interests of producers and consumers alike.
US officials considered that the OPEC + decision represents support for Russia, a member of the group, and reflects "Saudi Arabia's bias in international conflicts and is based on political motives against the United States."
In the statement, Saudi Arabia expressed its "total rejection" of these statements, and stressed that OPEC + takes its decisions "independently" in accordance with the generally accepted independent practices of international organizations.
The Kingdom stressed that the attempt to obscure the facts regarding its position on the Ukrainian crisis "is unfortunate and will not change the Kingdom's initial position and its vote to support the resolutions taken at the United Nations regarding the Russian-Ukrainian crisis."
Since last February 24, Russia has launched a military attack in its neighbor Ukraine, which prompted many capitals, led by Washington, to impose severe economic sanctions on Moscow.