DOHA: Putting their differences behind after the November 16 meeting of their leaders, the GCC states have resolved to focus on consolidating their cooperation and unity.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister,
H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, said yesterday that any dispute that the GCC member states had was now resolved.
“We have to focus on consolidating the spirit of sincere cooperation between our countries and move towards a strong and cohesive GCC entity,” he said.
Addressing a news conference jointly with GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdulalteef Al Zayani, Al Attiyah said that the GCC states were working together on various common projects that signify their close economic cooperation.
The two leaders were speaking to reporters at the meeting of the Council of GCC Foreign Ministers that was held here yesterday. This was a preparatory meeting ahead of the GCC Summit slated to be held here on December 9 and 10.
Al Attiyah said the draft resolutions prpared at the meeting will be submitted to the GCC leaders at their summit.
The Foreign Minister, who is the chairman of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council, said the Palestinian issue, the Syrian crisis and the situation in Iraq, Syria and Yemen topped the discussions.
He said the meeting between the GCC foreign ministers and their counterparts from Jordan and Morocco discussed all issues related to joint action plans for the period from 2013 to 2018.
Regarding their meeting with their Yemeni counterpart, he said the situation in Yemen was reviewed, adding that the GCC member states reiterated their support to Yemen and rejected any interference in its internal affairs.
He called on all political and social parties in Yemen to uphold the supreme interest of the country and discard sectarianism to achieve the aspirations of the Yemeni people, stressing that Yemen is an important country in the region.
The Foreign Minister said that the GCC Ministerial Council meeting reviewed the views and issues presented by the Advisory Board, and discussed a number of economic, political and social issues of interest to the GCC countries. The meeting also considered the recommendations of the ministerial committees on economic affairs, and reviewed regional and international developments, particularly the situation in Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Palestine.
He stressed the position of the GCC and said it rejected religious and political sectarianism and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Regarding the position of the GCC countries on a number of issues in the Arab region, Al Attiyah said that they had convergent views on many issues.
“We are working hard with our brothers in the GCC countries to have a unified vision towards all issues, especially those related to GCC security or affecting them.”
Responding to a question about negotiations between Iran and western countries over Tehran’s nuclear issue, he said the GCC welcomed the initial agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group and the possibility of finding a solution to the issue of peaceful use of Iran’s nuclear programme.
“We support the right of any country to use a peaceful nuclear programme, and we demand, at the same time, the removal of any nuclear weapon, not only from Iran, but from the entire Middle East”. He hoped for an agreement to end the nuclear issue in the region.
Al Attiyah stressed that the GCC member states must be a party to any security arrangements in the region.
The P5+1 group is taking clear steps to make sure that Iran’s nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, he said.
Meanwhile, responding to a question about a unified GCC naval force, Al Zayani said there were recommendations and studies on the issue and these would be submitted to the GCC leaders during their summit.
THE PENINSULA
