A meeting of military representatives of 43 countries was held in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saudi Arabia's initiative to create a multinational maritime defense coalition to protect international shipping, the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced.

According to the respective statement, the meeting was attended by the chiefs of staff and their representatives from 43 countries, as well as a delegation from the European Union.

In total, invitations were sent to representatives of 51 countries and international organizations.

Some of the participants joined the meeting in person, while others joined via videoconference.

According to the Saudi defense ministry, the participants discussed the growing risks to maritime security, including attacks on merchant ships, energy carriers, tankers and maritime infrastructure, which threaten the safety of navigation, the stability of global supply chains, and the global economy.

In addition, the meeting considered the draft charter of the future coalition, its organizational structure, command and control system, working mechanisms, and future phases of formation.

This coalition is planned to be operated in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.

The participants also discussed the founding provisions of this initiative, according to which Saudi Arabia will become the founder and leader of the coalition, as well as set up its headquarters on its territory.

As a result of the meeting, the military representatives agreed to continue work on forming this coalition, including completing the development of its charter, organizational structure and operating mechanisms, so that the founding document can be signed and the coalition can be officially launched.

A joint statement supporting the plan was signed by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia.

At the same time, the Saudi Ministry of Defense emphasized that a number of other countries have also expressed support for the initiative and are continuing their internal procedures to join the joint statement.