UAE | Government
Iran must solve islands issue
Tehran must respond to calls from Gulf Cooperation Council members to submit the issue of the UAE's occupied islands to international arbitration, the Secretary-General of the GCC said on Monday.
- By Jumana Al Tamimi, Associate Editor
- Published: 23:49 September 8, 2008
- Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah says he hoped Iran would reciprocate to the "sincere" calls of the UAE and GCC to refer the border dispute to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
Dubai: Tehran must respond to calls from Gulf Cooperation Council members to submit the issue of the UAE's occupied islands to international arbitration, the Secretary-General of the GCC said on Monday.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah said he hoped Iran would reciprocate to the "sincere" calls of the UAE and GCC to refer the border dispute to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The dispute over the occupied islands of Abu Mousa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb resurfaced recently with Tehran's decision to open two offices on Abu Mousa.
The UAE has protested the move and is calling for its reversal. GCC foreign ministers also condemned the Iranian move, and Arab organisations are supporting UAE's stand.
Iran, however, rejects the protests and describes them as "interference" in its internal affairs.
"Undoubtedly, the issue of the three [UAE islands occupied by Iran] constitute an obstacle in the way to improving the bilateral relations between the GCC and Iran," Al Attiyah said. "The GCC wants to develop relations with Iran and move to a broader horizon."
Al Attiyah, however, remained adamant that the GCC does not want to be dragged into any potential conflict between Iran and the West.
Refusal
Al Attiyah said he rejected the military option to solve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme, and added the GCC countries also refuse to be pushed into the middle of any Iranian-Western dispute.
He said the dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme and uranium enrichment efforts must be resolved peacefully, adding he "rejects all non-peaceful options". Stability in the region, he said, is vital for all.
"GCC relations are governed by the interests of the region's countries and peoples, and our keenness to stabilise the region," Al Attiyah said.
With some reports speculating about a military strike against Iran in concert with the US presidential election in November, Al Attiyah said relations between the GCC and Washington have been close for a long time despite changes in the US leadership.
"These relations are governed by mutual interests and the recognition of the necessity of securing stability in the region," he said.
He declined to comment on the US-Iraq security agreement, noting "this is an internal affair and what we are looking for is to preserve the unity of Iraq, its sovereignty and security."
Money union: Centsible?
Get ready to deal in GCC cents. When members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council meets in Muscat in November, the first order of business will be to agree to a monetary union, the precursor to a GCC central bank.
GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah told Gulf News the final details are being worked out by the central banks.
Share this article
More from UAE Government
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Ministry opens hotline to report violators
- First well in relief project to honour scientist
- Help me find my precious cat
- AG expresses confidence in public prosecution's skills
- National ID needed for Interior Ministry services
- Meet to discuss ways to secure energy supplies
- Deyaar case: Expert asked to submit detailed report i
- Institute adopts best judicial practices
- Dubai hospital wins Spain architecture festival award
- Masters in construction law to address sector's concerns
- Private schools form lobby group
- New council to strike demographic balance
- Green moves make desalting plant less damaging
- Technology can negatively affect girls: forum
- Dubai-based British athlete attempts to swim around Palm in record bid
Community Reports
-
Help me find my precious cat
Raif, my cute eight-month-old ‘fur ball', went missing in Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen area last month
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
