AMIR CALLS FOR IRAN DIALOGUE, RESPECT FOR SOVEREIGNTY – ‘Six as one to confront challenges’

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MANAMA, Dec 6, (Agencies): His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said Tuesday the GCC Summit comes amid rapid international changes and critical conditions that necessitate continuing consultations and joint coordination to consider and preclude relevant reflections on the GCC countries.

Addressing the 37th GCC Summit held in Manama, His Highness the Amir said that the region is currently faced with grave challenges, where on the economic front, dwindling oil prices are a major concern. His Highness the Amir also added that there needs to be a shift in national ideologies, together with fresh cooperation fields, in order to cope with these challenges.

His Highness the Amir spoke of notable achievements brought about by joint GCC work, which includes economic gains that represent the aspirations of GCC citizens. He also highlighted the need for increased strategies to bolster GCC cooperation in efforts to chalk further accomplishments that will reinforce solidarity among the Gulf nations.

Moreover, on the scourge of terrorism, he said that it poses a threat to regional security and stability, which calls for concerted efforts to eliminate this mounting threat. On Yemen, His Highness the Amir recounted that Kuwait had hosted peace talks that aimed to restore peace in the war-torn nation, lamenting that the warring parties failed to reconcile, which induced further bloodshed.

On Syria, His Highness the Amir said that the GCC commiserates with the people of Syria, underscoring firm support of a political solution to a conflict that has remained unabated. Speaking on developments in Iraq, His Highness the Amir expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the fight against the so-called Islamic State (IS), as he wished the country a prosperous and bright future.

Efforts
On the Palestinian conflict, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah regretted that efforts to establish peace remain at an impasse, noting that the international community is preoccupied with other issues.

Meanwhile, speaking on ties with Iran, His Highness the Amir said there needs to be constructive dialogue between the GCC and the Islamic Republic, noting that the talks should center on abidance by international law, including sovereign rights. His Highness the Amir also urged Tehran to cease meddling in the internal affairs of other nations, noting that the agenda for this GCC Summit includes numerous pivotal issues.

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said Tuesday the 37th Session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Supreme Council takes place amid exceptional and unprecedented political and economic conditions worldwide.

“These conditions require that the GCC member states accelerate steps towards integration to sustain the successful and influential role of the Council on the international arena,” King Hamad said in his inaugural speech to the summit. “The GCC was able to act not only as a leverage to maximize the national gains of its member states but as a regional bloc spearheading the efforts to maintain security and stability on the regional and international arenas as well.

“The GCC plays an active role in working out initiatives and solutions to the political crises in the region and preventing foreign interferences in the domestic affairs of its countries,” he stressed. King Hamad noted that security is parallel with development “and this is why our countries continue to activate the joint defense and security treaties in order to fend off the security threats and maintain the safety of our nations.”

He recalled that the “Gulf Security 1” drill, hosted by Bahrain last month, brought about a quantum leap in the defense cooperation among the GCC member states. He added that the GCC countries, thanks to the wisdom and patience of their leaders, were able to defeat the threats of terrorism and extremism, and protect the gains made in the areas of development and prosperity. “The achievements notched up in economic development contribute to the welfare of the GCC citizens and strengthen the march of the GCC joint action,” he pointed out.

The launching of the GCC economic and development affairs authority is part of the efforts to achieve economic integration and activate the economic activities in the GCC countries; this falls in the framework of the efforts to turn the GCC into a major regional economic power based on productivity and competitiveness, he went on. King Hamad praised the economic treaties and joint ventures by the GCC states, notably the GCC common market, the water and power grid hookups, the GCC railway, and the GCC customs union. “Such mega projects, meant to realize the target of comprehensive development, are on top of the agenda of this summit meeting,” he added. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said Tuesday the exceptional and highly challenging conditions in the region require that the GCC states join forces and double efforts to address them and maintain stability.

“The painful situations in some Arab countries as a result of terrorism and civil strife are a normal and inevitable outcome of alliance among sectarianism and terrorism and foreign interferences,” King Salman said in a speech to at the 37th Session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Supreme Council.

On the situation in Yemen, he said the GCC states continue their efforts to put an end to the armed conflict, and restore security and stability in the county under the leadership of its legitimate government and pursuant to the provisions of the GCC initiative, the national dialogue outcomes and the UN Security Council Resolution 2216. Regarding the conflict in Syria, King Salman expressed regret over the impacts of the crisis and suffering of the Syrian people. “The persistent atrocities and displacement being suffered by the Syrian people, require that the international community intensify efforts to end the bloodshed and reach a political solution to the crisis that could ensure security, stability and territorial integrity of the country,” he stressed.

King Salman expressed hope that the current GCC Summit will help ensure better future for the citizens in the GCC states and greater role for the GCC on the regional and international arenas. Joining the two-day summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council is British Prime Minister Theresa May, the first female leader to participate in the talks. May addressed British sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean earlier in the day, highlighting her country’s commitment to the Arabian Gulf region. The UK is building a new naval base in Bahrain.

That decision has drawn criticism from human rights advocates, who point to the jailing of several activists and opposition figures in recent years. Amnesty International has urged May to raise concerns about human rights violations throughout the Gulf during her meeting. During the summit, Britain is laying out plans to bolster aviation security with Gulf states and improve counterterrorism cooperation, among other initiatives, according to the prime minister’s office.

The GCC bloc of Western-allied countries includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. French President Francois Hollande was the first leader from outside the region to attend a GCC Summit, in May 2015. US President Barack Obama met with the bloc in Saudi Arabia in April of this year.

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