Riyadh: The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will meet in September to discuss a plan for closer integration of the bloc, Saudi Arabia’s English-language newspaper Arab News reported on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz proposed last December that the GCC, which also includes Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman, should move “to the stage of unity in a single entity” in response to the tumult witnessed across the Arab world and the perceived threat from Iran.
“The initiative to move to a Gulf union will be discussed by the GCC foreign ministers when they convene next month,” said Abdul Latif Al Zayani, the group’s secretary-general, in comments carried by Arab News. He added that a commission set up in December to come up with a detailed plan had finished its work and had submitted its report to the foreign ministers of all member countries.
In the lead-up to a summit in May this year, some Gulf officials had said they expected an announcement at the meeting of some form of closer union, possibly involving only Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. But the group delayed any decision until future meetings.
Speaking after the summit, Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud Al Faisal said any move towards a union would involve all the countries and that the integration of only Saudi Arabia and Bahrain was not on the table.
Of the six GCC states, only Bahrain was hit by major unrest during the Arab uprisings with scattered protests continuing this year.
There were also some protests in Oman, prompting a cabinet reshuffle and additional social spending by the government.
Saudi Arabia, the largest of the six GCC countries by size, population and economy, largely escaped the turmoil, although there have been protests among members of its Shiite minority.
The GCC countries have accused Iran of instigating the unrest in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, charges that both Tehran and the protesters have denied.
Tensions with Iran have intensified as it and the GCC countries have backed different sides in the violent rebellion roiling Syria.
Speaking on April 28, Prince Saud said the GCC countries should integrate their foreign and military policy to present a more united front. But when leaders of the countries met in May, differences emerged over how to move forward, Gulf officials and analysts said at the time.
Al Zayani said a lot of differences had now been resolved, Arab News reported. It did not elaborate.
