Monday ~ Gulf leaders to tackle new challenges at summit talks

Iraq and GCC Summit Dec. 19-20-2011 ~ The GCC Summ....

December 18, 2011

Gulf leaders to tackle new challenges at summit talks

Regional developments, including a range of political, economic, security and military issues, will figure during the summit of the heads of Gulf Cooperation Council states in Riyadh on Monday, a top GCC official said on Saturday.

Saad A. Alammar, GCC's assistant secretary-general for political affairs, said the new challenges facing the GCC, which is emerging as an increasingly critical partner to advancing common interests of peace and security in the region, will also be discussed at length by the Gulf leaders.

Those interests include all regional developments including Iran, Libya, Yemen, Syria, maritime security, counter-terrorism, energy security and countering weapons proliferation, said the GCC's deputy chief.

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He said the emphasis will be more on how to ensure closer coordination and boost further cooperation among the six nations. "The six-nation GCC is at the forefront of boosting peace and security in a region, which is currently witnessing chaos," said Alammar.

The two-day summit, the first since the region-wide protests unseated three veteran Arab leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, will also look at possible ways to solve crises in a number of neighboring states.

Asked about talks of Egypt becoming a member of the bloc, Alammar said the issue "has never been discussed in the council."

In September this year, the GCC foreign ministers recommended a five-year development plan for Jordan and Morocco, said Alammar.

It was not immediately made clear whether this plan or membership for any other country would be discussed by the GCC leaders in their summit. "But, all our efforts are directed toward solving the problems in the region," said Alammar, while referring to the satisfactory progress made by Yemen after President Ali Abdullah Saleh endorsed the Gulf-brokered peace deal recently.

Alammar, who accompanied GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayyani to Yemen early last week, said the transfer of power in Sanaa and the announcement of general elections in Feb 2012 were welcome developments.

On the question of Iran and its nuclear program that will be discussed by the GCC heads of state, he called on Iran as well as Israel to refrain from fooling the world on the issue of their nuclear programs. He, however, said that all countries have the right to acquire nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. He reaffirmed the resolve of the GCC states to ensure that the Middle East region remains free from weapons of mass destruction.

On Syria, he called on the stakeholders to stop the bloodshed as early as possible and ensure normalcy in the country.

He said the GCC as a bloc stands to support Syria to restore peace and stability as well as maintain its unity. On the question of Libya, he said the GCC was happy a new phase has already started in the country.

The GCC leaders will share their views on the condition of Libya as part of the agenda, which will include a whole range of issues all deemed to be in the interest of the GCC member states. He pointed out that the GCC General Secretariat has several committees, including political and economic panels.
These panels have also drawn up a number of subjects to be discussed by the GCC heads of state, he added.

On economic issues, a report released by the GCC General Secretariat said the GCC is set to exempt over 800 products from customs duties in bilateral trade between the member countries from next year.

The GCC Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee has finalized the list of products, which will be submitted before GCC supreme council on Monday.

Once the Riyadh summit approves the list, the exemption of customs tariffs will come into effect from January 2012.

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