Jordan and Morocco ~ No consensus on Morocco, Jordan joining GCC

Related article ~ GCC considering requests by Jordan, Morocco to joint Arab Gulf bloc ~ Jordan welcomes Gulf countries' support for GCC membership bid

November 30, 2011

No consensus on Morocco, Jordan joining GCC

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday there was no consensus yet among Gulf Arab states on admitting Jordan and Morocco to the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

“We must learn from the experience of the European Union, which at some point accepted 10 countries to its membership and look now what happened with the euro,” Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahayan told reporters in Abu Dhabi, referring to the euro zone debt crisis.

“There is no consensus at the moment to include Morocco and Jordan,” he said.

GCC Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Zayani in May said Gulf Arab states were considering requests from Morocco and Jordan to join the Gulf Arab political bloc.

Zayani said GCC foreign ministers planned to meet with the foreign ministers of both countries to “complete required procedures,” but it was unclear what kind of membership they were considering for the two Arab, non-Gulf countries.

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