Kuwait: The 38th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit kicked off at Bayan Palace in Kuwait on Tuesday, with Kuwaiti Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah calling for safeguarding the GCC and its achievements, and developing its institutions in the face of the challenges of the future.
He called for finding a mechanism to settle disputes within the GCC, and for the international community to take action on the Palestinian issue.
He also called on Al Houthi militias in Yemen to abide by the conditions of peace initiatives based on UN resolutions and the GCC initiative, and said Iran must respect the sovereignty of other countries and not interfere in their domestic affairs.
Following the initial statements, the summit went into a closed-door session. A communique was expected to be released later.
GCC leaders reiterate support
The leaders of the GCC countries on Tuesday reiterated their support to the Arab collation backing the legitimacy in Yemen during the summit in Kuwait.
In his inaugural speech, Shaikh Sabah reaffirmed the support for the Arab coalition in backing the legitimacy of the government in Yemen. He said Iran must respect the sovereignty of countries and non-interference in their domestic affairs and that Iran’s practices are in violation of the international law.
Shaikh Sabah called on the international community to take action concerning the dossier of the Palestine cause.
Abdul Latif Al Zayani, Secretary General of the GCC, expressed his hope that the summit would achieve the sublime goals of GCC leaders and a higher level of communication and further integration between Gulf nations.
Dr. Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, led the UAE delegation to the summit. Saudi Arabia was represented in the summit by its Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir, while Oman was represented by the representative of Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed of Oman, Fahad Bin Mahmoud Al Saeed, Deputy Prime Minister for Cabinet Affairs. Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and Abdullah Bin Faisal Bin Jabur Al Dosari, Bahraini Assistant Foreign Minister, were also present.
With input from WAM
